Daily Times

In recent the bypolls, the tide seemingly is sweeping against the ruling party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Although much anticipated, the results are the latest storm to torpedo the political confidence of PTI to advance its political agenda.

Many wonder, what happened in the short few weeks that the most ardent political supporters turned against. The blow that PTI suffered in the by-elections is largely assumed not to be the government’s performance appraisal; but to suffer 9 consequential losses in the center and provinces which previously supported them in the general elections, highlights the whimsical scaffolding PTI developed in voter’s consciousness through inherently conflicting promises.

In the pre-elections, Imran Khan guaranteed a utopian set up; realities were over exaggerated, highly imaginative promises were made which follow unrealistic expectations by an uninformed public who was quixotically persuaded  through barrage of tall claims literally for fantasy Islands against their ballots.

To begin with the marginal mandate widely lending through the lease of electables to feudals, land and sugar mill mafias and political Pirs, made PTI  morally suspect. The relatively smaller parties which had been precisely considered by the supreme leader Imran Khan as corrupt, he now is seen pleading to them  to satisfy the constitutional stats in order to form the government.

Meanwhile, the period of austerity in which the PM chose not to stay in the official residence of the Prime Minister of Pakistan, allowed journos to storm the national building turning it into a farcical topic at home and overseas.

The story of humiliating national buildings in which many of us have witnessed the stalwarts of mass media broadcasting ludicrously odd trips to Prime Minister house’s restrooms and bathtubs, appeared to be a big hit in our neighbouring country India, mocking the way the country was being run. However, that pitch won over PTI’s devout fans. The hype was further intensified by inviting bids for vehicles which had been used by the Prime Minister house, in the hopes of probably expecting to get enough capital to solve the country’s chronic economic problem. The government which lacks flexibility, pragmatism, experience and the ability to look for policy-oriented approaches subtly turned the nation away from the politics of issues to the politics of non-issues.

After retreating over the meritocracy principle by not appointing the globally acclaimed economist Atif Mian which was another pledge that he sold to the masses. The Prime Minister who had made vitriolic attacks on his predecessors for making expensive trips to foreign countries at the expense of taxpayers, assured if given charge of the country he would lead by example by traveling in standard class, however to the contrary, he made his maiden official visit to Saudi Arabia to seek help in overcoming the country’s economic woes, with the same  official protocol to which he had been critical to in the past.

The hype was further intensified by inviting bids for vehicles which had been used by the PM house, in the hopes of probably expecting to get enough capital to solve the country’s chronic economic problem. The government which lacks flexibility, pragmatism, experience and the ability to look for policy-oriented approaches subtly turned the nation away from the politics of issues to the politics of non-issues

Imran Khan who is often synonymous to a U-turn in Pakistan, due to his flip-flop nature.. His opposition against taking any form of loans was highlighted in his speeches. He was overheard time and again saying; “if given a choice, I would rather choose to die instead of begging because those who beg have no international standing”. Yet again, the premier Imran Khan unapologetically overturning his rigid line of discourse, when his government put up a case to the International Monetary Fund to seek a bailout, interestingly the largest ever bailout package in the history of Pakistan.

Pakistan has racked up substantial foreign debts, inflation has increased, rupee is devalued, unemployment remains high in the country and economic growth has stalled. The general standard of living remains low and much of the rural population struggles to get by. Under such a gloomy forecast about the economy, many budding economists contradict Imran Khan’s super-ambitious claim of creating 10 million jobs in next five years, only if the government completes the term which looks pretty unlikely.

An accomplished cricketer with little political prescience entered politics to challenge the status quo, intending to uproot the growing menace of corruption from Pakistani society. However, in an unholy alliance with the Status quo forces of Pakistan, he awarded almost 100 percent tickets in bypolls to political families, a slogan of dynastic politics he long used as a weapon against his political opponents.

Was our nation once again betrayed in the name of ‘change’? The fact remains; Imran Khan does not live up to the ideals he espoused to, but the voters still remain are in the dark and pray for a better tomorrow.

The writer is a freelance writer. He can be reached at @ranasarfraz3417

Published in Daily Times, October 24^th 2018.