Daily Times

My grandmother spent the last year chanting ‘Go Nawaz go’ sitting before her television screen. She even said an extra prayer for his departure the day the Panamagate verdict was due. Why? Because even today sometimes she can still see dead bodies spilling across train seats. Despite losing many of her family members and most of her family’s wealth as a result of the journey, she had hope upon arriving to this unknown land; at last there was a country to call home. But today she often grumbles out loud: ‘We did not sacrifice our lives to see Pakistan in shambles.’

The first citizens and last witnesses to our nation’s birth, lived by the belief ‘Pakistan first’ – nothing could divide them further. Soon this generation will be gone. But can PTI be their torch bearer?

In Pakistan history continues to repeat itself. Divide and conquer is still the name of the game and our nation as a whole has suffered the consequences. It is common knowledge for anyone interested in politics that Punjab holds the key to power. It is a simple matter of numbers. There are 272 general seats in the national assembly of which 141 are with Punjab. This means focusing party resources and/or government funds in the said region prior to elections. But with each vote gained, bitterness between the provinces grows.

While Lahore was being transformed into Paris more accusations of Punjab stealing Sindh’s water surfaced. Last month the Senate committee was informed that Punjab is consuming 1400 percent more gas than it produces, while KP is consuming 27 percent of what it produces. According to AAEPAM, 40 percent of children in Punjab are not enrolled in schools, while in Balochistan this proportion stands at 70 percent. Mineral rich Balochistan continues to be one of Pakistan’s most underdeveloped regions. It is then no surprise factions in the province desire to be a separate nation. Multan with its population of about 1.8 million has a metro bus system, while the metropolis of Karachi, inhabited by over 14.9 million people, is still waiting for orange and green lines to appear. And let us not forget North and South Punjab butting heads over resources.

Prior to elections politicians held many public gatherings across the country. While addressing the audience they could often be seen wearing something native to the region as symbol of their commitment to the people of that area. When speaking in Sindh the ajrak would be draped around their necks, upon arriving in KP it would be replaced by the Pakol. Of course on 14th August they will clap for the parade and on 23rd March cut an enormous flag shaped cake. But one can’t help questioning the purpose of these conventions if this patriotism isn’t reflected in their policies.

PPP despite their tall claims have deeper roots in Sindh than any other province. Similarly, PML-N has largely been the voice of Punjab. PTI also gathered momentum from KP. However, Mr. Khan’s party not only managed to form the current government but also made space in provincial assemblies with 30 out 168 seats in Sindh (18 percent ), 7 out of 65 seats in Balochistan (10 percent ), 87 out of 124 seats in KP (70 percent ) and 182 out of 371 seats in Punjab (49 percent ). Nevertheless, many argue a third force was behind these wins.

Let us momentarily believe the allegations are true. It still does not take away from the movement for change begun by PTI. Unity prospers by erasing lines dividing people by race and religion. The party’s narrative for years has now been ‘Naya Pakistan’ – a nation which belongs to every citizen. Consequently, the by-product of PTI pursuing principles of justice and equality will be unity. Although a man of Pashtun descent who was born and brought up in Punjab, Imran Khan’s aim to redress the nation as a whole is evident in the party’s 100 day agenda.

While Lahore was being transformed into Paris more accusations of Punjab stealing Sindh’s water surfaced. Last month the Senate committee was informed that Punjab is consuming 1400 percent more gas than it produces, while KP is consuming 27 percent of what it produces

Although most of PTI’s promises remain incomplete it would be biased to saying nothing has been done. Mr Khan promised to build 5 million low cost housing units. On 5th November NADRA began accepting applications for the Naya Pakistan Housing Programme while 40 bidders filed applications for constructing the project on 28th November. It is pertinent to note that the pilot project will be launched in seven cities across the country: Faisalabad, Sukkur, Quetta, Islamabad, Dera Ismail Khan, Gilgit and Muzaffarabad. Similarly, the Sehat Insaf cards, originally issued and limited to KP, will be extended across all provinces. The process for this has already begun in Punjab.

The nationwide development projects on PTI’s agenda will be able to address provincial disparities and reshape both the physical and political landscape of Pakistan. However, given the recent dollar hike fiasco and the struggle over replacing walls of the Governor house with a fence, one is pushed into questioning PTI’s financial abilities. Finance Minister Asad Umar continues to be labelled incompetent with ENGRO’s downturn in 2012, quoted as evidence. However, it would be unjust to forget that when he took over, as President and CEO in 2004, the conglomerate was merely a fertilizer manufacturer.

Since managing money lies at the heart of managing large scale projects, the party’s ability to unite the country hinges upon the effective completion of projects such as the Naya Pakistan Housing Programme. The first step of a ‘Pakistan first’ approach was building a unifying narrative. The second stage requires transforming this narrative into something tangible. The people can be with PTI but the party also needs to prove it is with the people. PTI has the potential to unify a Pakistan still spinning and tripping on division lines. But will it be in time to fill the vacuum the first citizens and last witnesses to our nation’s birth leave behind?

The writer has a Masters in Media Studies with a distinction from the London School of Economics. She tweets @mawish_m

Published in Daily Times, December 9^th 2018.