Daily Times

Khan has been docketed with variety of names such as ‘Mr U-turn’, ‘Taliban Khan’, so on and so forth. In the earlier days, Imran Khan while talking to the media shielded his u-turns saying, ‘both Adolf Hitler and Napoleon Bonaparte faced defeat as they didn’t change their strategies according to the situation. Leaders should always be prepared to take u-turns’. The social media was flooded with PTI supporters giving historical examples of great leaders taking u-turns. However, the anti-PTI activists started trolling PTI.

Ironically, PTI leadership remains quiet regarding any hot trend especially linked to their leader. And then our President Dr Arif Alvi also stated that ‘I take u-turn on every step’. On a lighter note, this made me pondering then how does our President reach his destination?

Followers of Imran Khan believe and found cogent that Quaid-e-Azam also took u-turns on multiple subjects, one of them was switching the party. It was the most disheartening for me to see the polarization in our society, that they forfeited their Founder to save face of the PTI leadership. For them, the Quaid changed the party but not compromise on his principle stance of giving Muslims, proportionate representation in legislation and civil services. Moreover, Quaid-e-Azam once stated, “Think a hundred times before you take a decision, but once that decision is taken, stand by it as one man.” It’s the dilemma of our society to take favourable points out of anything and omit the rest.

A leader should have a grounding principle to pull the crowd. The blueprint might change with time but the destination remains the same. For instance, narrative of Imran Khan reverberated well amidst the public against the status quo. It triggered the appeal amidst the masses (especially youth), however, today can Khan call himself to have delivered on his promise? No, he has unfortunately become a part of the problem. The people on his left and right, are old tried and tested faces of the status quo. Yet people expect him to change the incompetent governance system. But like retrospection regimes, after coming in power, people handed over the portfolios that are under NAB inquiry.

It’s not mandatory for the ruling party to give defensive statements all the day before media. Government normally ‘speaks through its action.’ Reshaping policies for governance will eventually provide an answer

To understand the true expedient of U-turn, Pakistan has adequate examples to look back on. One of them was General AAK Niazi’s surrender in the 1971 war, which resulted in the Fall of Dhaka. Second most relevant example can be the coup d’état of 5 July 1977, in which General Ziaul Haq while addressing the nation pledged to hold elections within 90 days. However, the 90 days turned into 11 years of draconian regime of Zia before his plane crashed near Bahawalpur.

Besides this, if one does consider Imran Khan’s ‘U-Turn’ as acceptable, then why doesn’t Khan review the decision of the nomination of CM Punjab and KP? And if he believes it to be the right decision, then why does Khan recharge the confidence of the public before media after every fortnight over Usman Buzdar’s appointment? He should now prove himself to be a ‘Great Leader’ and take a U-turn on Buzdar appointment.

It’s not mandatory for the ruling party to give defensive statement all the day before media. Government normally ‘speaks through its action’. Reshaping policies for governance will eventually provide an answer.

Hence, Imran Khan has the right to take a U-turn for public interest. There is no torment in accepting the slip and working towards a solution. But so far, Khan has been taking ‘U-turns’ on the vows because of which he got votes. And a lot of examples can be quoted in that context. Political interference in police, bureaucrats removed because they are not bowing down before the ministers. Ultimately,; the impression given preliminary to coming in power is different than the result we see today. Yet, the youth like me are sanguine to see PTI delivering its best unlike defunct regimes.

The writer is an academic. He tweets @muhd_hani

Published in Daily Times, November 30^th 2018.