Amidst Democracy

Written by Hadeed Sher

After producing more than dozen fake degree holders, almost cent percent tax evading law makers on the ticket of Pakistan Tekreek Insaaf, Imran Khan has announced a long march on the Independence day of Pakistan. The apparent purpose of this long march is to protest against the delay in the voting verification process but virtually it is to deregulate the government machinery and to disband the PMLN lead government in Islamabad.

Despite been rejected by election tribunals in Sialkot and Lahore, PTI is still insisting that it is not possible that any person other than IK can be the PM of Pakistan. Ground realities are however very different. It is possible to conduct mega events in cities like Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad based on the alien support of people of other areas but it is unthinkable to get the same voting pattern in those areas. For example consider the public gathering of Lahore on Oct 30, 2011, where thousands flee from KPK and reached Lahore enjoying the smooth ride on 6 lane Motorway, a project by PMLN. However, it happened practically that those who came from KPK voted IK in KPK but not in Lahore. Majority of the people rejected the politics of mud slinging, abuse and vilification by Imran Khan. People of Lahore and Punjab remembered the role of Imran Khan while half of them were sunk under the flooded Indus and epidemic like Dengue. I have pointed out in my previous blogs that people of today's Pakistan do not like the politics that oppose public welfare schemes. Ironically, those who declared the Lahore Metro Project as the biggest scam of Pakistan and pointed fingers on the utilization of 40B PKR are offering bids to construct the same in Peshawar for more than 55B PKR. The problem what i see is the lack of any solid agenda for this long march. It addresses the single point of interest of a single party whose chairman gave written statements to sweep GE 2013. Imran Khan and his party claimed that elections in KPK were clean enough so we swept KPK however, it is not true as far as Punjab is concerned. However, Imran Khan is yet to answer that if the elections in KPK are fair why his country wide "largest" party failed to grab seats from D I Khan, Chitral, Kohistan, Bannu, Laki Marwat, Bunair, Shangla, Dir, Chitral and Malakand. PTI stalwarts should also explain that why despite holding the march against drones which by the way started from DI khan and ended after 25 km in the small city Tank without witnessing even a single victim of drone war, failed to help them in GE 2013. Although, the federal rules were amended way before the GE and political parties were given permission to participate in the electoral process the "world's second largest" party after the Chinese Communist party, the Pakistan Tehreek Insaaf was badly defeated in almost all the tribal areas of Pakistan including the troublesome North Waziristan Agency as well as the Momand, Kurram and Orakzai agency.

This highlights at least one thing that its the DEFEAT that is biting the nerves of Imran Khan, after all its really gloomy for a father who promised his 2 sons that upon their next visit to Pakistan they will stay in PM house. Its also heartening to loose 4 more years waiting and hoping for being the PM of Pakistan, that too at the age of nearly 70. Seventy, off course is a very ugly figure to be called as a young leadership. His rise from ashes was planned and executed by the establishment which is very much visible from his latest meeting with Ex spy chief Mr. Pasha. The message is clear, as masses around the Pakistan wants this government to work and the only thing that might emerge from the successful protest on 14th August will be that Mr. Sharif will become the only man in our history to be elected four time PM.