ISLAMABAD (Published in The Nation) - Please don’t be surprised if Tahreek-e-Insaaf chief Imran
Khan comes up with simple solutions to the complex problems being faced
by the country. Like, if voted to power, Khan believes, he just needs
200 sincere and professional people (bureaucrats and corporation heads
included) from all walks of life to turn this country around. As a
matter of strategy he is soft on the all powerful military
establishment, but seems fond of the ‘Turkish model’ to tame it in the
long run. He now holds a high moral ground after the apex court verdict
in Asghar Khan case, though many still accuse him of being ‘blue eyed’
of the military elite, no matter whosoever holds fort at the top spy
agency. He has a huge task at hand but the man is relentless, at least
in public appearance. Not pushed or bothered about the flock of
electables joining or leaving him, he wants to strike a balance between
armature old guards and professional new comers who know how
to
manoeuvre their way to the top. During his informal discussion with
media persons on Thursday one could see former PPP die hard Dr Israr
Shah sitting on his right hand side. Former Q league legislator turned
television anchor turned politician Ayla Malik, was all attentive
nearby.The elitist Information Secretary of the party Shafqat Mahmood
was nowhere to be seen as media persons complained openly to the chief
of once-media-friendly party about the deteriorated media coordination
since arrival of Shafqat and ilk. Khan won’t refute them, acknowledging
the complaints with a smile and nod to improve the liaison. While Ayla
would take pains in explaining PTI’s connect with rural population, and
Israr will call him a ‘Faqir’ of modern times, disagreeing with a
questioner who labelled Khan as a ‘proud man’. He would quickly call
himself more faithful than all and sundry present in the room. Soon he
would realise the mistake and end the debate.For the time being,
industrialists, feudal, Pirs (with no corruption history at least) are
all welcome in his pavilion of democracy, and leave at will. Though he
won’t elaborate his novel governance ideas at this point of time,
effective local bodies system, transparent government and across the
board accountability are his sellable election slogans to mainly
urbanite youth, lower middle and middle classes. How would he break the
feudal-cast-sect web in rural areas? Khan is relying on a wave he thinks
will rise from urban to rural areas and break the
tangle.Well-travelled, well read and a man with so much international
exposure and fame, Imran does not shy away from pinching media queries,
these days. But he is a little muted on MQM and cautious when he touches
civil-military relations. He admits he went to London to get the MQM
chief Altaf Hussain booked, but PPP government back home didn’t produce
the key witnesses to that country’s police. Still a stringent advocate
of proactive judiciary, the PTI chief believes when the elected
government loses the moral right to rule, courts have to step in to
protect the peoples’ rights. Demanding an end to Pakistan’s
participation in “war against terror” on its western border, Imran
thinks that Balochistan issue is also linked to it. Peace on the western
border will end foreign support to Baloch insurgency, he believes.For
governance models he is impressed with Norway and Sweden welfare states,
and was all praise for the governance model of Nitish Kumar, chief
minister of the Indian Bihar, who was recently in Pakistan and lectured
the PTI core leaders.Poet of the East Allama Muhammad Iqbal is his
ideal. Critics would say this is the usual Pakistani amalgam of systems
and classes the PTI has adopted, but the man at the helm of affairs of
the party is confident to bring a positive change to the depressed
Pakistani society. For now, he knows no one can dare challenge his
position as he introduces basic democracy to his party – the election
process he wants to complete by January next year.He attaches great hope
with this process – workers recommending party tickets. But in a way,
he also shifts blame of wrong selection to workers. A win will be under
his banner and leadership, of course. But reality check and ground
realities of the Pakistani politics also worry him. Alliance with the
parties in the present parliament and wrong selection of party tickets
could bring the PTI Tsunami to a grinding halt, Khan fears.Just a few
days into his 60th birthday, Imran still looks super fit in his athletic
physique. And determined he will fight it out with old guard Sharif and
Zardari – the former 3 years older and later around 3 years younger to
him. But politics seems more of a brain game. Combined with resources
and luck, one could become Sharif or Zardari. But for Imran time has
become a crucial factor – Tsunamis come rare. And he knows Pakistani
public mood that changes sooner than anticipated.Once a public hero, Air
Marshal (r) Asghar Khan is his vice president with no secure seat to
reach the national legislature. Many more are stories of the past. So he
would want to become prime minister of the country soon. And for this,
he has experimented and gambled a lot during the last 10 months or so.
He proudly recalls that the last 10 months weigh heavy then his 16 years
of political struggle. Rightly so. He earned the place of third
political force in country’s polity. He would shrug off a usual blame
that he was pampered or still being looked after by country’s military
establishment during these days and months.With eyes set on elections,
he would spare no moment to condemn the ruling PPP regime under
President Zardari as most corrupt. Likewise, he would recall time and
again that Sharifs of PML-N are hand in glove with Zardari that enabled
both to complete record tenures of any elected governments at the Centre
and in Punjab. He quoted the former premier Yousaf Raza Gillani
confiding to him once that PML-N broke away with PPP in Punjab out of
PTI popularity fears. He fears their unspoken, unwritten alliance again.
Change of guard – PML-N at Centre and PPP in Sindh. But can he reverse
the scheme all alone?