10/5/2014 A change for the worse

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A change for the worse

October 05, 2014
Gul Bukhari


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For news details visit : http://nation.com.pk/columns/05-Oct-2014/a-change-for-the-worse
For news details Read on : A change for the worse
The more Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman, Mr. Imran Khan, coins new rhetoric, the more important it is to
remind his audiences of the stances he has been taking and quietly dumping in his bid to achieve premiership via
extra-electoral means.
It is important for his supporters to remember that almost his entire election campaign before the last general
elections in 2013 was built on his stance on the war on terror and on opposing the strategy of dealing with the
Taliban and Al Qaeda militancy with use of force. He was nicknamed Taliban Khan by his opponents for the
reason that he was completely opposed to any military action whatsoever against the Taliban. Fiercely opposed to
Drone strikes against misunderstood brethren the Taliban, his promises included ending militancy, corruption,
injustice and many other ills within 90 days of coming to power. Mr. Khan popularized the false narrative
assuring his adoring fans that bombing of girls schools by the Taliban was government propaganda, and telling
the public that the Taliban did not want to force Sharia at gunpoint in Pakistan. And he made all of these claims
in tones of utter sincerity, which perhaps untold millions believed because it was Mr. Khan claiming it. It is
unclear what these claims of his were based on but Mr. Khan continued to unabashedly make such claims in the
face of Taliban spokespersons continually contradicting them publicly in statements as well as through their
deeds.
Perhaps his adoring young supporters have forgotten Mr. Khans anti-Drone campaign, which at its height saw
him taking a long march to the border of North Waziristan before returning meekly when asked by the military
authorities to return. After PTI came to power in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, his party and government
carried out the infamous sit-in and illegal blockade and stop and search of cargo containers in a bid to block
NATO supplies and force the U.S. government to cease Drone strikes. The claim that it was the party and not the
government carrying out the illegal blockade, causing Pakistan to renege on its agreements and obligations, was
transparently duplicitous. The claims of having made the police service independent in KP were as flimsy, given
that it was not allowed to disrupt the hooliganism of the PTI members when they were dragging and beating truck
drivers, carrying out self-appointed inspections of cargo and severely impacting the livelihoods of people in the
trucking service.
Not only does it not bother Mr. Khan that the same areas and the same people have since June this year been
mercilessly pounded by the Pakistan military, for some odd reason he does not speak about Drone strikes either,
which have resumed. What is one to make of his flighty stances? Is it that he does not like to cross the military
and his causes magically melt away depending upon who is championing which cause at given times?
Mr. Khans jalsa base might want to consider the sobering reality that ever since forming the government in
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, he has not shown the slightest interest or inclination to actually govern the province he
was fortunate to win the most seats in. He has become comfortable in politics of confrontation, accusation and
protest. From the very start, Mr. Khan has preferred to tour the country protesting on one issue or another, be it
alleged rigging, inflation, corruption, electricity shortages, or the metro bus.
Mr. Khan has clearly demonstrated in the last year and a quarter that his mind bent is not suited to governing via
state structures or institutions. He finds it easier to neglect his duty, indeed to instigate the provincial government
to breach its oath and stay bent to rhetoric and instigation to illegality and criminality. The most horrific
dereliction of duty was witnessed when over a dozen people in the KP province died due to floods, and not a
mention of them was made in the rousing rhetoric from atop the Azadi Container. During the recent sit-ins in
Islamabad, Mr. Khan tried to lead his followers to as many illegal paths as he could think of: to not pay taxes and
10/5/2014 A change for the worse
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utility bills, to transmit money through illegal channels used for money laundering, to attack policemen, to storm
the Red Zone, to storm government buildings including the parliament, the prime minister house and the Pakistan
television station.
Young Insafians must think hard. Mr. Khan truly considers himself and any actions that *he* orders, above the
law. He believes the end justifies the means. For a party founded on the manifesto of justice, rule of law and
equality, the leader is uniquely beyond the law and mistrustful of systems and institutions. He has cast a shadow
over every institution of this country that stands for justice, rule of law or democracy. He accords himself the
same special status and VIP stature that he purports to disavow. He rejects outright every court, judge, tribunal, or
parliament that does not bow down to giving him special treatment. All of Pakistans citizens supply to the same
justice system Mr. Khan wants to sidestep to obtain speedy judgments. Indeed, he wants different standards to
apply to him. And in the absence of those, he threatens to undermine all persons and institutions that do not bow
down to his pressure. Can this gentleman deliver a just Pakistan?
Mr. Khan is now perhaps more politician than those he has berated for being immoral and criminal. He made
the word politician a four letter word associated with corruption and immorality. He is now wont to use
articles 62 and 63 of the constitution against the sitting Prime Minister, despite his own earlier sheepish attitude
when better men came to his aid and protected him from being disqualified under the same articles of the
constitution from contesting the election. Mr. Khan is knowingly using malafide articles inserted in the
constitution by a dictator, that no other politician has stooped to use against opponents.
Indeed, he has led a revolution in foul and derogatory language and unfounded allegations to form the backbone
of political discourse for his young fans to follow. One had hoped he would lead the youth to think critically and
become effective participants in a fairer democracy. Unfortunately, his guidance has led them to view similar
projects as the Metro in Peshawar, and the Jangla Bus in Lahore; taught them to accept accusations as facts;
raised expectations of good coming out of anarchy; promoted vigilante and criminal behaviours and disrespect for
order and authority. These are the most grievous changes Mr. Khan is bringing about. Should he come to power
at the center some day, the culture he has promoted will almost certainly work against him as well.
Only yesterday, a group of his partys provincial parliamentarians have announced a sit-in in Peshawer to protest
corruption in Mr. Khans KP government. The parliamentarian vowing to lead the protest has spoken about Mr.
Khans tolerance of corruption as a pragmatic politician, quoting Mr. Khan on the necessity of working with
thieves. He has bemoaned the raising of false expectations of complete honesty in the PTI and the KP
government.
What Mr. Khans supporters in their millions have yet to understand is that his bid to de-seat the current
government through unconstitutional means and with the help a court-military nexus, will not bring in an angel in
power even if the military allows him a puppet role in that eventuality. If they look closely, Mr. Khans party or
politics cannot be differentiated much from the others. The KP government stands no less *accused* of
corruption and nepotism than any other government; many party leaders tax-returns are as questionable as those
from other parties; disqualifications from membership of assemblies on findings of rigging or fake degrees by
election tribunals are as rife as in other parties; elite, landowning, big-business politicians are as much in
prominent positions within the PTI as in other parties.
Indeed, at this stage, the only differentiating factor between PTI and the other parties in parliament is that PTI is
doing its utmost to discredit the entire elections and with it the democratic project in its bid to come into power.
By contrast, all other political parties in the house, whether in coalition with the government, or in opposition, are
all intent on resisting this onslaught to derail the project completely.
The writer is a human rights worker and freelance columnist.
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A change for worse
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Comments
10/5/2014 A change for the worse
http://nation.com.pk/columns/05-Oct-2014/a-change-for-the-worse 11/12
Country cannot afford politics of sit-ins:
Zardari
1 comment an hour ago
Sher We don't see any other NRO.
Qadri gives shut-up call to PPP jiyalas
1 comment 17 hours ago
ShManzar Simply one thing is important, when
is Qadri going away, from Pakistan, forever?
Eid Mubarik
1 comment 16 hours ago
Khalid M Bhatti I am saddened to know that
Pakistan is celebrating Eid-ul-Adha two days after
the 9th Zilhajj. Eid-ul-Adha
UN calls for solution to Rohingyas
citizenship
1 comment 17 hours ago
Hozur Arab,Pakistan,Malaysia.Indonesia and
other muslim nations should accept them and
solve the crisis.
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Muddassir Nazar 14 hours ago
Stupid article.....Waste of time....

1


Reply
Naushad Shafkat 2 hours ago
Brilliant! May be painful for some because it reminds them of things they would love to forget; in fact
of things they would like to wish away even from the past. Ms. Bukhari writes so exceptionally well
that one always looks forward to her articles. The way she marshals her facts is simply amazing.
Lovely!


Reply
Safdar 8 hours ago
There must be something else you could write on. Every week same topic of PTI bashing is quite
boring. There is a lot to criticize when it comes to PTI but you are overdoing it.


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