Finally Imran Khan, Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is not going to seal off the federal capital. This is a welcome move by the PTI’s chief in such a critical political situation. In this brief piece, my intention is to analyse a very simple yet a very important point: what is the significance of Imran Khan’s dharnas (sit-ins), and how do they benefit the ruling party? And here I make some suggestions to Khan, some alternatives to get things done in a more proper manner.
In the present scenario the important questions are: first, what does Khan really wish to achieve in the broader framework of Pakistani politics? Second, is it sensible to seal off the federal capital or the whole of Pakistan? Third, is it the mature means to a sensible end? Fourth, what alternatives does Khan have other than sit-ins and closing of the capital?
Firstly, Khan is a relatively new addition to Pakistani politics. He attracted the youth, and gave the idea of change and a “Naya Pakistan” (New Pakistan). He promised to stop the excessive exploitation of the poor and the weak, to bring change in education and health sectors, and to eliminate both the corrupt and corruption from Pakistan. Apparently, he is fighting against the status quo. He is questioning the existence of dynasties and the nature of democracy in Pakistan. In a wider political context what Khan really wants is a limited or controlled political revolution in Pakistan. Through this revolution he intends to incorporate real democratic values — equality before law, accountability, free and fair elections — in our monarchical, authoritative yet masqueraded as a democratic political system.
Secondly, it is neither appropriate nor sensible to close the federal capital. The answer is very simple and clear: Khan’s sit-ins would create chaos in Pakistan; government machinery would become dysfunctional; and there may even be stones, bullets and blood. This situation would benefit Nawaz Sharif and his party, as they would be able to get sympathy from the international community and media, as these sit-ins would be considered or portrayed as a military-backed, undemocratic political force that wants to topple democracy in Pakistan.
Domestically, closing of Islamabad, or of Pakistan, would give the ruling party the perfect political excuse to hide their incompetence and malpractices in a cleverer and more convincing way. All the economic loss would be blamed on the sit-ins. All that would happen were Khan to lock down Islamabad.
Thirdly, Khan’s goals are sensible and visionary, as what he fights for is actually what everyone in Pakistan wishes for but not struggles for. Unfortunately. But the means Khan has chosen to achieve this sensible end is insensible. It is sad to foresee that the means the PTI is going to employ for attaining its mature political ends are politically immature, and would ultimately benefit the opponent: Nawaz Sharif and his party. This sit-in would have empowered Sharif both domestically and globally. People may argue that ultimately, it would be Sharif’s political fortunes that would suffer as he may have to seek help from the all-powerful Pakistani military to save his government. This is naïve thinking. Internationally, Sharif’s government would get more moral support to continue than any effort by Khan to ‘topple’ it.
Fourthly, Khan needs to focus on his greater political objectives, and should not do what he has been doing since long. He is repeatedly making mistakes, unsound judgments and political miscalculations. He must understand and carefully examine the domestic as well as global political milieu before he decides his next move. More importantly, he has three interrelated and interdependent things to do as an alternative to get things done in a better way.
The PTI is not an organised political party in the democratic sense. Khan should first focus upon his party organisation so that internal instability within his party does not distract him,
once again.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government must be a model government for the rest of Pakistan. Khan should focus on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa because if his party does not deliver there, it would not only lose Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but the rest of Pakistan as well.
Khan must politicise the youth across the country. This politicisation of youth would help Khan in achieving his fundamental political objective: a controlled revolution.
Imran Khan can go to the Supreme Court, the Election Commission, and other national institutions to seek justice, but if he does not attain what he seeks, he should refrain from making a call for a sit-in like he has done so far. He should focus on the public, his party and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Questioning the fragile democracy of Pakistan would benefit the status quo not the PTI.
The writer is a student of Political Science at the University of Punjab, Lahore, and can be reached at [email protected]