Despite an impressive performance in the general polls, former prime minister Imran Khan and his party (PTI/SIC) have yet to truly rise to the occasion as people’s representatives.
The last few months have seen little other than unnecessary cracks in the rosy alliance, secondary leadership running around like a headless chicken and a seemingly neverending barrage of fiery statements. Dramatic resignations have become part and parcel of the party structure, the latest of which saw Secretary-General Omar Ayub Khan step down to “focus” on his parliamentary assignment as Opposition Leader. While he hinted several more changes were underway, his colleagues in the lower house are still hard at work, dispelling rumours of a forward block and urging Mr Khan to stay on in command.
Whether the likes of disgruntled Sher Afzal Marwat are right in prophesying the ouster of Shibli Faraz remains to be seen but how can any entity, which is yet to find its organisational structure expect to be taken seriously by the state and its branches? Party’s founder, Imran Khan, may have risen to power on the slogans of a public-led revolution, but the glory of yesteryears cannot improve the chances of his revival. Those who held his best interests repeatedly reminded him, even at the peak of his charisma that governing a country was much more complex than rallying on the streets. However, today, as his party is trying to weather the storm, it is fast becoming apparent that just like Mr Khan, his lieutenants also lack the capacity to focus on the bigger picture.
Considering how they just turned down an olive branch extended by the executive and are constantly dragging the credibility of state institutions through mud, these recent bouts of infighting and power struggles are bound to overshadow the party’s mandate. Deep-seated divisions indicate that the coming days would prove to be more and more daunting for Mr Khan to keep his house in order.
Down the road (much sooner than he seems prepared), voters would question the contributions of the opposition bench towards a clear vision and direction. The previous reliance on populist rhetoric and grand gestures has failed to translate into concrete policy initiatives, leading to confusion and disillusionment and setting the leadership up for failure. At a time when the country is grappling with economic challenges and security threats, a divided government neither holds the will nor the capacity to help resolve the problems faced by the masses. *