Daily Times

The rise of the rumbling growl of the PTI’s dragon as it snatched the mandate away from a few power brokering families was largely hailed as the shifting of sands.

That party chairman Imran Khan had emerged as a formidable force, shifting the nation’s attention from the grip of dynastic politics was the talk of the town; something that Mr Khan loved to pat himself on his back for. But since all good things must come to an end, this romance with the young, urban educated voters, who understood mandate, not familial loyalties soon ended to make way for influential power plays.

The by-election for NA-157 is making rounds on social media for all the wrong reasons nowadays because Mr Khan’s “warriors” have a bone to pick with his decision to approve the candidature of vice chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s daughter Meher Bano Qureshi.

The seat was vacated by her brother, Zain Qureshi after having won the golden ticket to Punjab Assembly. While the former ruling party has time and again swept its much-talked-about abhorrence for family riches by awarding controversial tickets.

The son-in-law of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Pervez Khattak, brothers of Muhammad Aslam Ghumman, son of Dera Ghazi Khan’s Sardar Zulfiqar Khan Khosa renowned politician Air Marshal Asghar Khan’s protege and heirs of Gen Ayub Khan are just the tip of the discomforting iceberg. Back then, the dissenting PTI leaders were convinced of such appointments being the need of the hour and that the staunchest of principles sometimes needed compromises.

But now that the party rides on the unwavering support of a millions-strong fan base, local leadership has once again emerged unconvinced. Why forsake the party ideals of promoting merit, they wondered, registering their protest in an attempt to turn it into a conventional party. These dissenting leaders flying in the face of the status quo to preserve their principles still mean that all is not lost in the PTI’s backyard.

Imran Khan might not have answers to every power-brokering problem plaguing Pakistan but his commanders are not ready to give in without a fight. It can only be hoped that a player who had made headlines for his rhetorical challenges to the deep entrenchment of dynasticism would stay true to his crusade. *