Daily Times

I take the title for this piece from the second line of a verse by Ghalib, arguably, Urdu language’s greatest poet, the line reads: “Bana ke fakeeron ka hum bhes Ghalib, Tamasha e ahle karam dekhte hein”. I am not sure it’s an apt translation, but then I am no philosopher-poet; merely a former soldier with some pretensions.

Whatever farce is ongoing, we need to thank our venerable justices for ensuring a level playing field in the coming elections for all political parties. Having finally taken notice of corrupt practices by Zardari and sister in a case which has been under investigation for many a month, if not years, the Supreme Court (SC) ordered that the siblings be placed on the Exit Control List (ECL).

I am sure that when Imran is PM, he will surely not permit Pakistani donkeys to be at par with ordinary citizens. I am quite certain that, though these donkeys cannot be at par with ordinary citizens, nor permitted to enjoy equal services, in his benevolence, he will accommodate them in the best barns available with troughs of drinking water

However, to ensure they do not get a raw deal in the elections, the SC later ordered that nothing be pursued further against the two accused, till elections are over. How much fairer can the justices be? If another political party continues to cry foul, there must be something wrong with that party and its supporters, which Imran has discovered.

Finally, Imran has put his stamp on why he deserves to be the next prime minister (PM). His unerring eye has spotted what the entire country had failed to see i.e. that those crying foul are actually “donkeys”. In fact, if media reports are to be believed, he first clarified that, “they do not deserve to be called human beings”, before clarifying which animal species they do belong to. With that perceptive remark Imran established his ability to identify who is really who, or should it be who is what?

Since we are also on Ghalib, I am reminded of another set of verses about recognising humans:

Pas ke mushkil hei hur ik kam ka asan hona,

Admee ko bhee muyasir nahin insaan hona.

But, he as always, was ranting philosophy. I think he was trying to say, “just as it is impossible for all tasks to be easy, so too is it not possible for all Homosapiens to be human; employing “being human” as it is used metaphorically. Imran couldn’t have had this in mind. Not comparable, right?

Anyway, I hope the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has also taken note. After all, Pakistan is not Orwell’s Animal Farm, where animals run things. Those recognised and identified as donkeys must not be permitted to vote. I am sure that when Imran is PM, he will surely not permit Pakistani donkeys to be at par with ordinary citizens. I am quite certain that, though these donkeys cannot be at par with ordinary citizens, nor permitted to enjoy equal services, in his benevolence, he will accommodate them in the best barns available with troughs of drinking water.

On the other hand, now that the election playing field has been suitably levelled, PPP can also expect to do better than previously seemed likely. I recall that, when it came into being, ZA Bhutto’s PPP had, probably, the mightiest Pakistani intellect at its disposal. Bhutto systematically destroyed that collection, forcing the majority to leave and, ensured that those who stayed became so timid that their intellect became useless.

Now his party is firmly under Zardari’s thumb, but, there are still places in interior Sindh where Zardari dare not go. So Bilawal, still accepted as a Bhutto, is fronting for his father. Bilawal has learnt to converse in more understandable Urdu but, regretfully, he is torn between emulating the oratory style of his maternal grandfather and the earthier style of his father and contemporary politicians of today.

ZA Bhutto was undoubtedly a great orator and was gifted with a powerful intellect. Regretfully, he decided to use his intellect in a manner not best for the country. His overwhelming ego, the only Bhutto-quality that Imran shares, ensured that he be deprived of intellects that could have guided him.

From what is visible, Bilawal is neither an orator nor an intellect.If his reputation is rightly earned, the only trait common between him and his grandfather is a licentious lifestyle. But, all that having been said, there is still not enough known about Bilawal to typify him. Going by his current grooming, there is not much one can expect of him, but who knows?

Judging from recent events, it seems increasingly likely that both, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) will play significant roles after the elections; PTI seems set to lead the coalition government that is most likely to be necessitated by the election results. PPP? It could be part of the coalition or lead the opposition. It seems the Pakistan Muslim League — Nawaz (PML-N) will have a chance to rest and recuperate for another round.

If that be so, I am desperately hoping that a few years from now, friends whom I have annoyed with my recurrent opposition to Im the Dim will one day, in the not too distant future, collect and point out to me just how seriously I erred in misjudging Imran. If it is my error, it is neither the first nor likely to be the last. I honestly and sincerely hope it is my error.

The writer is a retired brigadier. He is also former vice president and founder of the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI)

Published in Daily Times, July 15^th 2018.