Recurring Song, Fresh Singer
Confirming widespread speculation, cricketing hero turned social worker and philanthropist, Imran Khan finally took the plunge into politics in Pakistan. Addressing a crowded Press Conference in the historic city of Lahore a few days after the bomb blast that destroyed the OPD of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital (SKMT), he launched a political movement Tehrik-i-Insaf (Movement for Justice), ostensibly to change the much-disfigured face of Pakistan politics. Most nations face a moral crisis of sorts in varying degree, blatant nepotism and corruption has made our particular descent rather precipitous to a level once associated with the so-called “banana republics” of Latin and South America. With the track record of our political parties rather bleak and without moral authority as a check, excess has reached new heights. With the Opposition repeatedly failing to mount a credible challenge to stem the decay of the fabric of the nation, Imran Khan’s advent into politics thus fills a vacuum of sorts. We are in such desperate straits that any person or organization willing and able (with his/her eyes open) to take us out of this morass is more than welcome to try.
By opting for a movement instead of a political party, Imran wisely stays above the political fray in pursuit of a greater cause than narrow political ambitions in simply chasing after political office. Despite appropriate public pronouncements, his appearance on the political scene has not been well received by either side of the political spectrum. If the bomb was a crude warning delivered by the “more loyal than the Queen” Brigade on the Becket pattern of “who will rid me of this mad priest?”, it had the opposite effect. In an actual exercise of adult franchise, analysts say he would wean away more votes from PML (N) than PPP, for the moment his campaign against various wrongs will help PML (N) put enormous pressure on the incumbent PPP Government. Riven with avarice and greed, the soul of our political parties is encapsulated in the ever increasing outrageous demands of our Parliamentarians, taking us deeper into an economic black hole. Desperate to cling to office, principles of ethical governments have been compromised by successive incumbents lacking the moral strength to take a tough stand. The theoretical touchstone for advancement in a merit-based society is competition, here it is a farcical sop meant as a palliative for the masses since only a privileged few with connections take prized appointments irrespective of performance. The latest example are the 60 cadet pilots chosen for PIA, notwithstanding the fact that flying passengers is a discipline where it is fatal to compromise on skill and experience. Some people do advance in the face of the prevalent norm (a la Gen Jahangir Karamat, the present COAS) but these are exceptions, in his case not only because of sheer merit but because the “court favourite” was too horrible an alternative for the public (and the Army) to stomach. Merit is not only a disqualifier it is also suspect in an environment where the few with merit who do rise find themselves on the receiving end of jealousy and suspicion, being perceived as a threat by those who have risen on the nepotism-route and refuse to accept that success can be possible without favouritism and/or manipulation. Quotas in Pakistan are meant to protect the rights of the minority, instead they are flagrantly misused to perpetuate the dominance of a privileged elite and their clientele, an extension of the feudal system into democracy. The vast majority within Parliament are a privileged elite of tax-exempt feudals who have the effrontery to impose legislation to tax the not-so influential salaried class and the self-employed. Unless this feudal gridlock on the country’s spine is broken, this country is doomed. The major objective of contriving to position the wrong people in the right places is to checkmate any opposition in the wholesale looting of the public till at will, corruption being the Siamese twin of nepotism. Dr Mahbubul Haq, former Finance Minister in Junejo’s cabinet and world technocrat, estimated annual loss to the national exchequer due to corruption conservatively at Rs.40 billion in 1988, today it could be well over Rs.100 billion. A decade or so ago one had to pay a bribe to get something wrong done, now in utter contempt of the law even something that is right can only get done by greasing the right palms. Ill-gotten wealth was kept hidden in overseas accounts, now it is flouted openly and proudly in luxury trappings by the nouveau rich. The silent majority may not be corrupt but compromise their self-respect to pay homage at the feet of those in power, institutionalizing corruption by making it socially acceptable to be corrupt. Those who abrogate their right as citizens (and functionaries) to voice their protest in the “see no evil, hear no evil and do no evil” syndrome are a pathetic lot beneath contempt. Wearing blinkers behind the flimsy fig-leaf of “Constitutional obligations” does not make them any less culpable, their fawning empathy makes them as much guilty as those whom it helps to loot this nation.
Into this evil-dominated cauldron steps a new flag-bearer for the oppressed, Imran Khan, in the mould of handsome Sir Lancelot entering the fray. In the field of cricket, Imran excelled, both in his individual capacity as a player and as a leader of men. Taking to socio-philanthropy, Imran’s charisma became apparent as a crowd-puller during the successful fund-raising process to build a state-of-the-art (at least for the third world) Cancer Hospital named after his mother. For aspirant leaders, charisma is crucial, Dr Mahbubul Haq is certainly better qualified to be a leader but does he have charisma? Imran Khan charted his views on a wide range of subjects carried by almost the entire print media in Pakistan. Marriage to the wealthy Jemima, daughter of Sir James Goldsmith, part Jewish Anglo-French billionaire financier with political ambitions of his own, was optimistically considered a political liability by a whole bunch of jealous detractors. Blending into the Pakistani culture, Haika (the Muslim name of convertee Jemima) force-multiplies Imran’s potency as a political “third force”. Skeptics point to various “disqualifiers”, viz (1) his playboy image in the 80s frequenting the drawing rooms of the rich and famous with a bevy of beautiful women in tow (2) his “foreign connections” propping him up as an acceptable “third force” to replace the growing unpopularity of the present regime as an alternate to the nuclear proliferation suspicions in the west that Mian Nawaz Sharif cannot seem to shrug off and (3) his “lack” of political and administrative experience as a handicap to national leadership in the immediate future, forgetting that Ms Benazir’s first job in life was as PM. Ms Benazir’s first reaction was to question Imran’s lack of Parliamentary support in the same manner that Stalin queried sarcastically as to how many divisions the Pope commanded, conveniently missing the point that the struggle for every cause starts on the bedrock of a moral force.
Other credible leaders are willing (but unable) to lead a Jihad (or crusade) against the root cause of our decay as a society and as nation, Imran Khan’s personality is a welcome and refreshing entrant into our political lives. The song he sings, the message he delivers, to mobilise public opinion while staying “within constitutional parameters” should matter much more than the image on offer. Why should we doubt his word about his stated aversion to both (1) dynastic politics and (2) the dominance of personalities over ideas? What he proposes should not be, at least theoretically, anathema to any of the major political parties, why should they feel threatened? If they are really true to their commitment to the people let them synchronise their own accountability process with the aims of Tehrik-i-Insaf. Instead of trying to macro-manage a complete overhaul of the system with his limited human and material resources or make his programme complicated by trying to delve into every facet of life at this early stage, Imran Khan would do well to stay firm on the selection and maintenance of his aim. He should remain focused on one single issue, to actively monitor the quality and integrity of elected representatives at each level of government. By keeping to the good old American KISS (Keep it simple, stupid) formula, Tehrik-i-Insaf should focus on the corrupt and greedy without discrimination to political affiliations, inviting the political parties to share the evidence at hand. Tehrik-i-Insaf could change the demographics by mobilizing the 10-15% swing vote in every constituency against those blacklisted, forcing the political parties to field candidates of honesty and integrity who will have a reciprocal commitment to the constituency and their constituents rather than to their own deep pockets. Self-accountability by the parties will act as a cleansing process with a trickle-down gravity effect down every tier of government.
Imran must remember the saying “Physician, heal thyself” because of a genuine fear among a generally sympathetic intelligentsia and public that political outcasts/chameleons may rush to coalesce around his rising star. Association with such opportunists and adventurers will cause Imran to lose credibility. Accountability as applied to his own “clean team” as a continuous process will help weed out such people. The credibility of his associates can be enhanced if they would publicly forswear public office, thus foreclosing personal ambition. With abundant charisma and known integrity, Imran will attract people of great value who not only believe in his lofty aims and ideals but will practice what he preaches. It has the potential of a “Dream Team” of motivated people from all over the country that will include (why not ?) bi-partisan support from both the major political groupings to bring this nation back to its great promise as a democratic country and lead it to economic emancipation of its people.
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