Pakistan: Quick-fix Khan

Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri’s calls for revolution appear to be the cries of men who have never faced hardship. Their parties’ joint protest in Islamabad on Sunday brought thousands of people onto the streets, but the message was less heartening and the turnout less significant than at previous Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) rallies. The participation of women and supporters from the urban middle and upper middle class was noticeably lower. These were sections of the people who were attracted by Imran Khan’s promise of change, but have seen little change in his governance of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). His stance on the Taliban has alienated many of them. Imran Khan is right to want open government and demand accountability, but principles are easily confused with desires and in this he bears watching as much as any other politician. The message that Messrs Khan and Qadri are putting out is dangerously confused about these issues. Imran Khan’s personal, charismatic style and messianic promises to root out corruption and change the country in the blink of an eye are evidently populist appeals for an extra-constitutional deviation.

When calling for revolution, Tahirul Qadri should perhaps remember Mao Zedong’s admonition: “A revolution is not a dinner party.” For men who attend more dinner parties than revolutionary council meetings, it may be hard to grasp the reality of what ‘revolution’ might entail. Revolutions, unless colour-coded and approved by the US State Department, are mostly chaotic, bloody affairs that often cut off their own heads. Few revolutions in history have achieved what they aimed to in totality, although they often did mark historic turns and departures for the society that nurtured them. A revolution that follows a ‘framework’ is no revolution at all. It is a messy election. Observers of Pakistan’s economic and social indicators might argue that Pakistan is in the process of revolution as we speak. Growing public opposition to military rule, messianic leaders, personal power and the dubious extremist narrative of militant Islam can be juxtaposed with growing support for the right to choose in elections, the right to speak freely, and to hold to one’s own religion. Public awareness about these issues is spreading, thanks to an information boom that is part of a worldwide communications revolution. In a country where military rule (direct or indirect) has been the norm rather than the exception, and a region that has a long history of centralised, authoritarian leadership, people are easing back into the habit of making their own political choices and decisions. More people now understand that we cannot wait for a ‘father figure’ to solve our problems; rather we must personally invest and take responsibility for our choices in politics and the running of the state.

Imran Khan may want to consider another Mao Zedong quote: “We think too small: for the frog at the bottom of the well the sky is only as big as the top of the well. If he surfaced, he would have an entirely different view.” Imran Khan needs to take a breather from his vociferous attacks on a system that is flawed, but better than any alternative currently on offer. His view is becoming myopically restricted to the flaws of others while not recognising his own. The election tribunals that hear rigging cases have granted his lawyer numerous adjournments at his request, which has contributed to the delay in their verdicts. This was not mentioned in the protest yesterday and protesting will not hasten the process. What then is the purpose of the protest? His tirade against a television news channel, coinciding as it does with other attacks on an organisation that once supported him, seems ill advised and suspiciously in line with what parts of the military establishment are saying. Statements that the current government has achieved nothing are hyperbole. Nawaz Sharif’s experience is paying off. Pakistan’s economic and other indicators are taking a positive turn. Imran Khan’s lack of experience is undoubtedly the cause of his current frustration at not having been swept into power in 2013. His supporters hope for a quick resolution to our problems. However, the road to sustainable democracy is a difficult one. Pakistan has taken baby steps down that road in recent years. Its people are tired of constant political bickering and want some stability. In this light, aspiring ‘revolutionaries’ should consider whether they are acting for selfless or selfish reasons.