Daily Times

Pakistan finally seemed on the desired track to get its derailed-democracy evolved.

Although I wrote this piece a year ago, it still makes enough sense to get it published because it has enormous relevance. The need is only to change the present tense into the past, while the change that was expected in the country is still the same. For instance, poverty and a deteriorating situation cannot be written in the past tense.

So, Pakistan’s eighth general elections received significant attention, not merely in the country but across the globe. The contestation continued, as the related discussions and debates encompassed “good, bad and ugly” narrative. The narrative based on five-Ws questions dominated the landscape of media and politics.

We comprehended that the areas of improvement are always there, and the things always get established and improved with time, but just let them happen while putting forth the best possible efforts and energies. About the elections, therefore, we instead highlighted the ‘good’ part with a deserving credit and constructive criticism. For accomplishing the enormous work of elections, all the stakeholders – the institutions and the citizens – concerned well deserved great credit. As the winner of third consecutive elections was no one, but Pakistan. The country finally seemed on the desired track to get its derailed-democracy evolved, as the third transfer of power – from one elected government to the next after successful completion of five-years tenure – occurred smoothly. Now it was a long-awaited and protesting party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) turn, after the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) for showing its great stature to reign the country.

Imperatively, winning the elections brought the substantial undertaking for the PTI – that is accomplishing the expectations, promises through taking necessary and timely measures, which nonetheless was not less than a massive challenge. How the party would rule the country and perform as per the pledged promises had as yet to be seen. The hopes, however, were too high – of the citizens of this country, especially the economically and political poor, the needy, the deprived, the oppressed, who had been longing for a forward-looking ‘saviour.’ Imran Khan, too, portrayed himself as that ‘saviour’ and germinated immense and intense hopes. The sole possibility, now and then, for the PTI was to prove the poor right and defy the critique – a blunt and severe – through adopting the practical and everlasting measures as – we humans believe – actions speak louder than words.

In this regard, the speech, IK delivered on July 26 seemed more spontaneous, holistic and pleasing – at least to the ones, who saw him as a “saviour.” His words and state-of-the-art was inspiring – compiled and composed. The theory uttered and inculcated – dealing with the problems thoroughly not separately – to rectify the basics, seemed incredible and instigating. The praxis, however, required extraordinary strategies and moves. The models – Shoukat Khanam, Namal College – are concussively the significant milestones to be achieved, admired and cited, however, running the country – confronting with several local, national and international challenges – necessitated remarkable mixtures of improved skills, conscientious efforts, high energies, enhanced knowledge, exceptional bravery and (un)conventional wisdom to do social engineering required for the social development and welfare.

The performance was the mere method to bring the lost happiness, peace and prosperity back, if had the IK-led government – hopefully – delivered the desired and said results, then, would it not solely strengthen its roots further, but also of the democracy in the country.

For doing so, the PTI’s one year is already passed, and the IK-led government has still much to perform. So far, the parts and parcels of election manifesto have been completed, but the whole manifesto as yet go to be accomplished.

The government would need to be meticulously vigilant and valorous. The success and change would speak loudly without words and leave the impressions, which will remain longer. Gone are those days, whence, words pleased more than work – and IK, it seems, knows the phenomena comprehensively.

Majority of the citizens congratulated and wished best to the IK-led PTI, and concurrently, intensely looked forward to making the pronounced pledges and promises achieved and fulfilled – that IK mentioned in his first speech – to liberate the economically and politically poor. Hope IK would not disappoint them and prove the critics wrong, baseless. The wind of change has commenced blowing with a pace. The sole prerequisite is to correct the basics – commitment, intention and trust (mentioning a few), thenceforth best results would automatically occur. .

The writer is a PhD Scholar at the University of Vienna, Austria