Daily Times

I have shared the following anecdote before, unfortunately, ignorance and stupidity have no bounds and history repeats itself.

Habibullah Kalakani ruled Afghanistan for nearly ten months known as “Bacha Saqao”, the son of a water carrier. That was his occupation, filling water in the Royal Palace. During the civil war of 1928-29, he defeated King Amanullah and captured the throne of Kabul. It was due to his physical prowess and ability to organize.

An illiterate from a working-class background, he wanted to make a lasting revolutionary impact on the nation. He introduced a new Afghan currency; coins made of leather. His affinity for carrying water in leather bags known as “Mushk” was his raison d’etre, his justification for such an act. It led to a huge debacle in the Afghan economy.

Independent media has to raise their voices very loudly and clearly that such brutality is unacceptable.

It appears history has repeated itself in Pakistan. After a disastrous 16-month rule of PDM One led by Shahbaz Sharif brought us to the brink of disaster, he has been re-installed as the Prime Minister again. This time with an interesting twist; the leading contender of the Sharif family, Nawaz Sharif has been ousted by his own younger brother. At the time of crafting the infamous “London Plan,” commitments were made for the return of Nawaz as 4th time Prime Minister.

Nawaz Sharif was willing to take dictation but on his terms. His arrogance and the fire in his belly to get vengeance was a poor comparison to his younger brother.

Nawaz Sharif was ditched unceremoniously. He is seething with anger at this insult; his alter ego Ishaq Dar could not contain himself as is evident from his leaked audio. Nawaz’s sole outlet for revenge is now Maryam.

Imran Riaz was subjected to torment and torture for months during round one. He came out as a shadow of his former self; a broken man unable to speak coherently. He overcame his impediments through the will of God and his determination. The moment he was fit enough, he jumped back into the arena welcomed by millions. He is a prisoner of conscience again. From the latest reports, he is going through another cycle of entrapment in false and fraudulent cases.

Independent media has to raise their voices very loudly and clearly that such brutality is unacceptable.

Going beyond these palace intrigues, the resultant PDM Two had thrown Pakistan back into a quagmire. The “before and after” events of these

elections paint a horrid picture. Every trick was resorted to prevent PTI from participating in the Feb 8th elections. Yet voters turned out in droves never seen before in Pakistan. They gave PTI supporters an overwhelming majority. The results will bring neither political nor economic stability.

We all need to look deeper into PTI workers languishing in jails. Women have been tortured and men subjected to abhorrent abuse unlike ever before. Individual stories of bravery, valour and commitment make you proud. IK is the luckiest man ever to invoke such undying and total devotion.

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