Saturday, August 18, 2018

#Pakistan - Bilawal Bhutto VS Imran - Power of speech




Imran’s speech was an echo of his usual container speeches as it did not sound like an articulation of a prime minister.
17th August, 2018 was a big day following the general elections as the National Assembly elected Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, as the 22nd prime minister of Pakistan.
Imran Khan’s first speech on 26th July as a victor of the elections amazed every other person to an extent that even his opponents showed reverence towards him. It was because his speech differed from his usual speeches as an opposition leader addressing casually to the public whatsoever. He not only summed up his plans for the country but also claimed to not target any specific personality nor any party but to leave all the personal and political grievances behind in order to proceed forward without any resentment.
However, his inaugural address in the National Assembly placed him back to where he was before, especially after Bilawal Bhutto’s maiden speech.
Imran Khan’s speech was an echo of his usual container speeches as it did not sound like an articulation of a prime minister but more of an ordinary politician.
He once more talked about the accountability of the corrupt and also made his way back into 2013 election rigging when he wanted four constituencies to be investigated.
The issues surrounding the accountability of the corrupt and the previous elections were unnecessarily dragged. And because of that, other core issues were missed out. For instance, economic and security problems that we faced. His statements, one way or the other, were attacks on other parties. And once more, the words turned into more of a blame game.
While on the other hand, Bilawal Bhutto’s speech trampled over the rest, winning the hearts of many which was even evident on social media. It was Bilawal Bhutto who remembered the people who lost their lives before and during the elections.
He referred to extremism, economic crises and foreign policy challenges. He said that it is “hurtful that Pakistan, which has sacrificed so much in the fight against violent extremism, is seen as a part of the problem and not as part of the solution.”
He further stated that Imran Khan is not only the prime minister of any political party but the prime minister of every citizen of Pakistan including all those people that he referred to as ‘donkeys’ and ‘living corpses’.
“If the prime minister persists in spreading intolerance, fanning the flames of bigotry, if he undermines the dignity of this house or the supremacy of the constitution of Pakistan, he will find us opposing in every step of the way”
However, he added that he will support the elected PM if the constitutional and parliamentary supremacy, along with public interests, are prioritized.
One can say that Imran Khan’s speech was an emotional reaction to the protest that took place in the National Assembly by the opposition. Yet, its resemblance to his past speeches made it slightly a dispirited one, taking away the charm that was expected from a newly elected prime minister.
Nevertheless, no matter how inspiring or disappointing a speech may be, at the end of the day, all of it is just a long trail of words. And words are words till they are put into action and that is what the real challenge is. The parliament is a paramount that has the power to understand and succour the matters of the common man because the duty of every member is to serve the people, not rule them. It is beyond the grudges that exists between the political parties. It is the performance and the fulfillment of promises that can really win the hearts of the citizens.

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