Daily Times

Sir: Every day I come across people who idolise Imran Khan. For them, he is like some promised leader who has already done a lot for the country, like forcing oil-producing countries to reduce the prices of petroleum products. According to them, it was Imran Khan who persuaded the US to stop drone attacks, which have now been resumed since the government wanted otherwise. They are convinced that because their leader is very popular in India as well, India will hand over Kashmir to Pakistan within a week once he becomes the prime minister of the country. He has changed the face of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (where his party is in power), so much so that most of Karachi’s Pakhtun population has returned to that province. They say that the crime rate in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been reduced to zero except when you ask them about the recurring bomb blasts for which they blame the federal government.

Smuggling from Afghanistan has been stopped, they say, and thousands of shopkeepers in Karkhano Bazaar outside Peshawar are now selling groceries and locally made products, and the taxes from these traders could make Khyber Pakhtunkhwa the richest province in the country. In fact, Imran Khan’s followers think he has already proved he has what it takes to be a prime minister (like using foul language and hurling accusations at journalists, human rights activists and such other unpatriotic citizens), so they believe that he should be asked to form the government without going through that irksome process called elections. They have a lot to learn, these brainwashed followers of the former cricket captain.

SHAKIR LAKHANI

Karachi