Daily Times

Going by Imran Khan’s recent address in Chakwal, he set new limits for launching scathing criticism against the institutions of the country. As for his political opponents, he had already crossed the limits of decency and decorum by calling them foul names of his choice. He possesses intrinsic ingenuity to invent names and use them with great relish against his opponents. We didn’t have any politician of this particular calibre before he emerged on the political scene.

Next comes Imran’s planned march to the citadel – Islamabad. The headline of an English newspaper reads: Islamabad ‘fortified’ as Imran reveals march plans. He also threatened to launch the “Haqeeqi Azadi March” movement on September 24. Azadi or freedom from whom? Is the country under the occupation of foreign forces that he, commanding his valiant troopers, will get rid of them? Later, when he felt his march might face tough resistance from the government, he changed his mind and advised his followers to protest in their cities. He doesn’t realise what state the nation is in because of the floods. A large percentage of the population has been deprived of their homes and properties due to this catastrophe. Southern provinces have suffered the most.

The UN Secretary-General visited many areas ravaged by floods and expressed immense sympathy to the affected people. He asked for global support for the people suffering from the natural disaster due to which Pakistan faces an estimated loss of $30 billion. Renowned humanitarian Angeline Julie recently arrived in the country to meet people displaced by floods and said, “(She) had never seen anything like this before.” Julie visited the country to show her solidarity with the flood-affected people in Pakistan. She intermingled with people rendered homeless by the floods and noted down their particulars to help them.

The growth rate might go down further if the state of political instability continues.

Bill Gates, one of the world’s richest men, didn’t lag behind. He assured Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif of his support for the country under the testing times when one-third of its population is suffering. The losses include not only that of precious human lives but also devastation caused to infrastructure, crops, and livestock. When innumerable people are homeless because of floods, Imran Niazi was busy planning his moves to bring revolution to the country. People know he neither attends funerals nor disaster-hit areas. He shuns tragic and distressing scenes.

On the other hand, when large swathes of the country are inundated by floods, what’s making headlines in the newspapers is whether Imran Khan tendered an apology in the court or merely expressed his repentance for passing insulting remarks against Judge Zeba Chaudhry. Different connotations of his statement in the court are being offered by his apologists. His legal eagle Hamid Khan in a TV appearance later claimed that Khan never offered an unconditional apology. It’s a catch-22 situation for the public.

However, the court directed Imran to file an affidavit regarding his statement by September 29 and that the case would proceed according to what the affidavit contained. In all humility and keeping in view the calamitous situation the nation faces, I suggest Khan be absolved of the petty sin and the case dismissed. Preferably, the honourable judge Zeba Chaudhry may be magnanimous to tell him – all is forgotten.

Where does the national economy stand? The Asian Development Bank has lowered the growth forecast for the country from 4.5 per cent to 3.5 per cent. Compared with the ADB growth forecast, the government estimates the growth rate to remain at two oer cent. This might go down further if the state of political instability continues. Under the circumstances that by no means are less than a national calamity, Imran is fomenting political turmoil in the country only to see himself in power.

Perhaps, no politician in the past has repaid his benefactors, who nurtured him from the lowly stage of Mr Nobody to the pinnacle of Mr Somebody who mattered, in such a manifestly ungrateful manner and that too in public rallies. Imran has the singular honour of doing so. Despite the wholehearted support by the organisation he now denounces, what can he show for his performance during the period he was in power? Any major projects his government undertook and completed in time? LRBT anyone?

The writer is a Lahore-based columnist and can be reached at pinecity @gmail.com