Daily Times

There is virtual war waging in the country.

This is a different kind of war than any other that has been fought so far. It is not a war which is waged against an external enemy. It is a war with ourselves, more particularly with the one who has been elected through a democratic process to rule the country and who promises to bring about changes that were not even contemplated by his predecessors. In fact, they ruled precisely because of all this not having been done before.

It may be too early to say whether Khan, as prime minister, would be able to deliver on all that he has come to represent, or even some of it. But, the very prospect of a putrid past being undone has sent battalions of the traditional beneficiary elite scurrying for corners to holler as loud as they possibly could in damnation of the very idea of it being contemplated.

“There is no need to be taken in by this bedlam which is roaring around. This only reflects the agonized shrieks of a dying breed of politics and journalism. The two have joined forces to keep gross misrule and the nefarious practice of illicit gratifications from the specter of imminent death”

In addition to the political suspects, this war is being anchored on by the bloated ones engaged in the task of conducting their evening circus on television. Most of them belong to the tribes which were the principal beneficiaries of a system of massive illegitimate dole-outs from state funds to advance personal interests. So, from riding motor cycles to work not so long ago, these morons have catapulted to upmarket brands in luxury travel by benefitting from a system of cyclic corruption that gripped every facet of life under the command of those who ruled through despotic edicts rather than democratic parlance. While all this robbery was occurring in broad daylight, the people of the country continued to languish within a woeful domain of impoverishment and deprivation.

These beneficiaries were paid lavishly for projecting a nondescript progress. Whatever could be seen around in the shape of concrete monstrous structures and outlay was not meant for the benefit of the poor and the ordinary mortals. It was a camouflage to facilitate receipt of huge kick-backs by the principal as well as the secondary beneficiaries.

For starters, seeing Khan on his maiden visit to the GHQ must have warmed the hearts of all peace-loving Pakistanis. There was genuine happiness in the air: the salute, the smiles, the warm reception accorded to the prime minister, the inspection of the guard of honour, the one-on-one with the COAS and finally presiding over the meeting of a combine of the civil and military leaderships which, I am given to understand, was a first of its kind ever. Wow! One could gather tangible vibes that the political and the military institutions would be working together. And, there never was more need for this than now!

But a lot must change to reap the benefits of a transparent and accountable leadership committed to engineering a paradigm shift in the way things have been in the past. Nothing short of a miracle will be required to alter the way we have traditionally thought about things. If we are to take this country forward, this is the least that would need to be done.

Those stuck with the ways of the past must realise the damage that politics of compromise and corruption has done to the edifice of the country, and how it has impacted the psyche of a whole nation that they are content to subsist with throw-away morsels of the rich without as much as caring about their self-respect and dignity. This is what they have been reduced to by promoting a system of patronage that delivers only to the rich, the corrupt and the powerful.

The naysayers to the change have the weirdest contraption to justify their narrative: if you oppose the corruption and misrule of the Sharifs, the Zardaris and the ilk, you are accused of supporting the military. When asked how does the military come into it, they have no rational response but insist that ‘opposing the political leadership is the same as supporting the military’. Absolutely nothing could be more crooked than this.

The animosity emanating from the political opponents of Khan is understandable. Not only they have been defeated at the hustings and Khan is the prime minister now which was unthinkable just a few months ago, there is mortal danger looming to the vey brand of politics they have preached and practised so far which is based on patronage of the corrupt and the criminal.

But it is the fierce opposition that comes from a certain coterie of journalists which spills the beans. While the traditional political edifice may be crumbling, it is also the stranglehold of these journalistic vampires which is under serious threat. It appears that their very survival in the field is somehow linked to ensuring that Khan does not succeed. They are damning him at the outset.

They seem to be consumed by non-issues like how many times he goes to Bani Gala and why? What is the cost of his travel from his home to his office and back and why can’t it be any less than that? Why has he chosen his cabinet without consulting them and why is he not interacting with foreign dignitaries like his predecessors did? Every day, these people bring up tardy issues to consume the prime time as they sit there masquerading as the know-alls, the flies on the wall, the pontiffs — all put into one!

What Khan is envisioning to do is monumental and its likely impact will transform the country from being a valley of the beggars to something deserving of respect and honour. Reform of a fundamental nature is on the anvil in matters of governance to ensure a high level of dignity for the state and its people — something that did not even occur to the past rulers who went with the begging bowl scavenging the world. In doing so, they were concerned only about their hefty commissions in whatever they undertook by way of ‘development’. The state and its interests were never a factor worth any consideration. What utter shame!

The venom and ferocity with which the reform agenda of Khan is being challenged reflects the fear of the traditional beneficiary elite of a decrepit system and their accomplices, most notably in the domain of journalism. Khan is changing it all and there will be no going back.

This venom and ferocity also reveal that something really good is happening in the country. This must not only go on, but also pick in momentum as we move along.

There is no need to be taken in by this bedlam which is roaring around. This only reflects the agonised shrieks of a dying breed of politics and journalism. The two have joined forces to keep gross misrule and the nefarious practice of illicit gratifications from the spectre of imminent death.

They know their time is up, so cry they must. Let them immerse themselves mad in this last of their indulgences.

The writer is a political and security strategist, and heads the Regional Peace Institute — an Islamabad-based think-tank. Email: raoofhasan@hotmail.com. Twitter: @Raoof Hasan

Published in Daily Times, September 4^th 2018.