Daily Times

Lahore is a city of extreme contrasts. Those living in “jhuggis,” temporary tents, scrape a living by rummaging through garbage, begging, petty thefts and low-paying jobs. Their biggest challenge is the next meal. Then, we have the wealthy bursting at the seams, desperate to display their lavish lifestyles. The dwindling middle class is somewhere in between, fighting to keep their head above water facing this tsunami of runaway inflation. This metropolis that has exploded on all sides has many contradictions.

What is going on in the country is without any purpose or rationale. We are going down a slippery slope that has no railings to prevent a disaster. The reckless drivers at the wheel have an insatiable desire to dominate and prevail no matter what it costs the country. This behaviour has everyone inside the country and abroad confounded. What is the driving force behind this obsession to be rid of IK?

The past 14 months in Pakistan have been a nightmare for its citizens. A huge chunk, comprising 80 to 90 per cent of the population, has been crushed by food inflation running as high as 50 per cent. As they grappled with this massive mismanagement by the criminal gang in power; they saw a light at the end of the tunnel. Through free and fair elections, they will get their revenge. Since April 2022, the nation has gone through a metamorphosis. Previously, whenever a ruling party was ousted, there would be widespread rejoicing amongst the masses. This time around, the reaction was a complete opposite.

The dwindling middle class is somewhere in between, fighting to keep its head above water.

For the next 12 months PDM, unleashed a barrage of false cases against the former Prime Minister. They used violence to suppress PTI supporters and discredit IK through false accusations that gained no traction amongst the electorate. PTI’s support grew by the day. Finally, in April/May the gloves came off.

What has happened since then? Media has been completely muzzled. The most outspoken critic, Imran Riaz Khan, has disappeared in the maze. IK has been isolated and PTI’s leadership has been rounded up.

The weak ones or those with skeletons in their closets buckled over. Many have gone underground. There is a litany of cases against them. In this prolonged darkness, some voices, driven by their conscience and beliefs, have given us a silver lining. There has been a change of guard. Just as PDM miserably failed in managing the economy, they have failed politically too. It is understandable why PDM wants to remove IK. They see a political giant lurking that will crush them at the polls. He endangers their stolen and ill-gotten wealth by challenging a system that has acted as their enabler. IK has always stood for a strong Pakistan with an impenetrable defence. The economy was growing without aid dollars, the industry was booming, and remittances were on the rise.

IK’s alternate is Sharifs and Zardaris who are incompetent, and corrupt with no stakes in Pakistan. They are a poor choice by the decision-makers. So what is their motivation? A power grab? A need to assert control? A personal vendetta? Repaying favours or dictates from beyond borders? None of them justifies derailing the democratic dispensation. The economy is collapsing; in a few months, it could be a carcass. Pakistan’s survival is at stake. It is time to step back and not let the country sink under its weight as predicted by PM Modi. For Pakistan’s sake, prove him wrong!

The writer is the director of CERF, a non-profit, charitable organisation in Canada.The weiter can be followed on twitter at following id: @HafeezKhanPU