In the scorching heat of Bhawalpur. A sweating Imran Khan’s speech was around two main points . First being his favorite i.e. Rigging and second being Operation in North Western Province. He has declared a Tsunami on Islamabad on August 14th against the government. Well Tsunami which is a sign of destruction is interestingly used by Imran as a positive connotation. His choice but nevertheless that whether this reference again is to do another public rally in Islamabad under guise of long march. Only God knows?
Does Imran Khan know something which we other common human beings don’t? Is there some thing brewing up under the turf as his rallies where other parties are quiet apart from MQM looks like part of a quiet election campaign. Has he been bestowed by some that maybe there is an election on the way? Or is he just doing these rallies to keep the momentum going. Again its an interesting ploy that he takes. Whilst I agree that there should be free and fair elections across the country. What I do not agree and not ready to accept is that his party i.e. PTI has not done any rigging and that too in KPK where law enforcement agencies have been reduced to minuscule before elections? Thanks to his allies in form of Talibans.
My view is what I think many Pakistanis say that he is trying to dig a way out. Since he knows that with the operation which has commenced in KPK ruling the province is only going to become difficult from here onwards. Since PTI’s rule in KPK is seen as an acid test for the party as he has been talking big about it. Knowing that this operation might have an impact where he may fail. He wants to deflect the attention from which and keep the offensive outside KPK i.e. in Punjab against the Sharif’s.
No doubt some feathers in Sharif government has been unruffled what is yet to be seen that how these experienced brothers handle this onslaught. The last feeler coming out was that things with Pakistan Army is cooling down. Now Imran’s only chance to get himself a mid term election is by keeping the relations between the Army and Nawaz Sharif wedged. As he runs out of age and wants to get a clear shot at the Prime Minister ship before his bones give up. But these recent reduction of animosity between Prime Minister house and GHQ could be all what he did not desire.
Now , the month of August in my view is critical for many reasons. Once Ramzan is over; the movement of Tahir ul Qadri would re-erupt (hopefully) otherwise the martyrdom of his workers would go in vain. Obviously, Imran Khan would increase the heat in case if he still wants to continue with the Tsunami and the government does not give him some options to placate his recounting demand. PPP has started to back the same demand as well. As they also know that in case of mid terms they are to gain as well. Cant be worse than what happened to them in the last elections. The operation would have been reaching its conclusion. The fall out or over flow would be seen in other parts of the country. I though hope that Pakistan Army do not stop short of North Waziristan and as Gen Raheel Shareef said that they would fight terrorists across the country if needed is actually executed since you would not want sleeper cells to exist only to awake at a later period of time. Also, the new President of Afghanistan would have been announced. Depending if Abdullah Abdullah gets elected. It might be a rough ride.
Whilst I write the piece its inspiring to see that such a new democracy like that of Afghanistan has agreed on a recount of vote to shrug off any concerns of an illegitimate new President. Wonder why cant we do that in Pakistan. One thing I agree with Imran Khan is that PML N could not have gotten more than 10 Million votes without rigging. Especially out of Lahore. Though I also think that Imran Khan could not have also gotten more than 5 million votes though he predicted to have 20 million votes for himself.
Anyways ; we can keep on playing this musical chairs game in Pakistan . Only that we have a third contender. I don’t think that the current system is ready to deliver to us a fair and a meritorious Pakistan. The system has to be changed in my view not just restricted to the election commission . Otherwise; we would keep on getting the same type of people getting elected again and again in the country.
Just look across the border to India where they have elected a Prime Minister who was infact from a poor background and risen through the ranks . Indians have rejected the political fiefdoms . The same is what we face today in the form of PPP and PML N and may be PTI as well. As after Imran all the second tier is all about political fiefdoms. With a strong government in India with absolute majority . We need a strong government in Pakistan . Not a government which is shaking in its boots.
Who ever took the decision of starting the operation in NWA has done a good move towards getting Pakistan head towards stability though I feel that we need an across the board operation in the country? But at the same time I wonder why Imran Khan keeps quiet about Judicial reforms, Police Reforms & Constitutional reforms. Equally important to not only get free and fair elections in the country but also in our daily lives with equal representation. He claims that he has done so in KPK but the last I check the Bhatta Mafia and other snatching issues are on the rise in KPK as well.
Whilst we as a nation have announced a war against Terror in the country. We need to announce a war against in apt Judicial System, in competent Police , struggling Health Care and mainly degrading Education system in the country. All of these wars are to be taken at the same pace. Not only where it is a selfish desire for individuals to keep them in power or getting them in power.
Its time that the nation backs our Pakistan Army with these concurrent reforms as they fight off extremism in the North. One reason which I feel for such a rise is a dual standard system different for well connected and for masses. Such indifferences creates vacuums. Our Army can do that much only. The same were the issues in Bangladesh or former East Pakistan where the prejudices created the anarchy and by the time our Army was sent . All was lost thanks to the indecisiveness of our politicians. I fear that if we do not back our Army action in KPK and in other places by sincere political reforms . We have much too lose and than we should not be blaming our Army for the failures.
How we may correct it? After a miracle from God. The only other way I see that some kind of a national reform committee should be formed with equal representation who should only decide on how to spend or allocate the resources of the nation and their top most priority should be reforms at all major pillars of the country. The government should be answerable to this committee which can have revolving Chairmanship. This way every one would get a chance to help correct the nation. The decisions of this committee should be seen as final and as of the top priority.
Now if our politicians cannot agree on an amicable formula . Than I would recommend that since we are in a state of emergency any ways . We should apply the available provisions in the constitutions and form a government based on technocrats and experts to ensure that issues of key national importance are addressed and executed instead of a fly over in Lahore . I am sure we can spend our resources at better issues in the country irrespective of what political mileage it may get. This technocrat government should be finite and with a limited agenda with all the resources at their disposal with oversight from the Army, Civil Society and if need be politicians . Unless we do not get the fundamental rights. We should not expect peace and prosperity in the country. I fear that before people loose trust in our political system for good and become a mob and force such reforms or actions on us as a nation are desperately needed. We should act proactively ; rise above our selfish desires and implement the same. Otherwise we don’t need a bloody revolution in our country.
In the end instead of creating Tsunamis , Imran Khan should come out with solutions. It is sad to see that whilst he pointed fingers against the operation. He did not usher a single word for the martyrs of our Pakistan Army. I sometimes wonder with whom is loyalties lie? Is it with Pakistan? Is it with Taliban? Is it with himself? Or are his loyalties just a line in the sand? I hope that somehow our politicians, our judiciary, our army and our civil society get their house in order soon. As our neighbors become stronger. We would be left much behind in the race. Pakistan Zindabad!
