Daily Times

Imran Khan is the man of the moment. Thus it was hardly surprising that he wished to save the ‘best’ till last. At least in terms of publishing his party’s manifesto; which came cold on the heels of offerings by the PPP and the PMLN. Though, in truth, all three were guilty of publishing their respective popular mandates more than a little late in the day.

That being said, “The Road to Naya Pakistan” hits the right tone in terms of rhetoric. Especially when it comes to reminding voters that PTI stands for a just and equitable society; along the lines of an Islamic welfare state. Such commitment, the party chairman writes in the introduction, goes beyond mere politics. At its heart rests the principle of equality of opportunity for all; regardless of race, ethnicity, origin, gender or religion.

There is a strong emphasis on jobs in the PTI manifesto which is a welcome indication given the growing levels of youth unemployment. Similarly, addressing the housing crisis is another area that the manifesto has focused on. The housing construction sector has the potential to create jobs and so it is a well-considered idea. But if elected to power, the PTI will have to live up to this promise. Talking about millions of jobs is easier than actually delivering them.

The PTI is equally steadfast on national security. Indeed, it breaks down the country’s core interests as: territorial integrity and sovereignty; socio-economic development; a final status for Kashmir; and protection of Pakistani citizens around the world. In a welcome move, Imran vows to revisit the Kashmir dispute within the auspices of the UN Security Council; as was outlined last year at the General Assembly by then Prime Minister Abbasi. Equally positive is recognition of the importance of conflict resolution — not war — as a means to Pakistan living at peace with its neighbours.

In addition, there seems to be the promise of a tilt away from the US in favour of regional powerhouse China; while focusing on strengthening bilateral ties as well as consolidating the country’s position at multilateral forums. Again, there is nothing new here. For the PTI supremo has, since the earliest days of the GWOT, cautioned successive leaderships against getting caught up in other nations’ wars. Indeed, the party has from the get-go been staunchly opposed to the American drone programme here.

With all its emphasis on a welfare state, a PTI government at the Centre would not touch the country’s draconian blasphemy laws. But, then, neither the PPP nor the PMLN have talked about reforming legislation in this regard. Just as none of the Big Three has raised the Ahmadi question. Imran Khan has been accused of trying to cash in on a resurgent religious right; and he would need to shift his positions if he wants to arrest extremist violence in the country.

But we hope that all parties give due consideration to minority groups that are already in a precarious position. Indeed, the priority ought to be bringing the latter into the mainstream. For just because the Ahmadi community has for the last three decades boycotted polls as a silent protest against separate electorates — this does not mean that political leaderships across the great divide can simply forget about safeguarding their interests.

In short, the road to Naya Pakistan is a well-trodden one.  *

Published in Daily Times, July 10^th 2018.