You cannot fight even the ‘state within the state’ – fighting the state is a far cry. The consequences are not hard to predict when the state and the ‘state within the state’ turn against you, simultaneously. The state has countless tactics to imperceptibly consume and waste your time, resources, energy, and might. You don't even feel bleeding out till it's all over and you are completely drained off. The most dangerous of these tactics is to keep you focused on non-issues — means, to keep you focused on deliberately created distractions.
Our national political canvas portrays three major developments against the only real opposition party – the PTI. First, Punjab Front has been re-opened after Imran Khan’s decision to dissolve provincial assemblies in Punjab and KP. Second, there is a sudden surge in terror activities in KP that is leading people to question the writ and controls of KP government which is, PTI Government. Third, the PTM has accelerated in activities in KP.
One can question Imran Khan’s motives but the fact remains that he has been demonstrating ‘controlled’ political resistance, resilience and defiance — whether this resistance, is for getting back into power, or it is genuinely for the people, or it is the result of his usual stubbornness and political miscalculations … only time will be the judge. However, we know that, in the past, he took the path that every politician has/had been taking i-e shaking hands with and becoming another puppet of the establishment. In 2018, he zeroed his whole 22 years long political struggle for nothing but only to climb to power ladder. This was his first political blunder. Rest is the history now.
Imran Khan is the only politician in the history of Pakistan that had that one chance, after his ouster from power, to tackle the bull (non-political forces those are actively involved in politics) by the horn. But, apparently, he didn't just miss it, he has messed it up quite badly. Now the bull is more than ever powerful and unstoppable. He was willing to negotiate a deal with the PPP in a bid to secure his government like he cut a deal, earlier, with PAM, MQM, BAP and PMLQ. But he is not willing to negotiate, for the greater good of the country and the people, with any of his political rivals to define and curtail political interference and roles of non-political forces.
“Elections are won by men and women chiefly because most people vote against somebody rather than for somebody.” The words of Franklin P. Adams best describe PTI’s win in by-elections. However, Imran Khan could not influence for any of the following issues after his ouster from the power, though, he applied all available tools such as conducting massive rallies in different cities, two long marches and now the announcement of dissolving two provincial assemblies where his own party is in power.
01:
Fixation of election date
02:
Resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner
03:
NAB Amendments
04:
Right of vote to overseas Pakistan
05: Appointment of the COAS
Political analysts are unable to decode Khan's move of ending his own governments in two provinces. They read it as Imran Khan is giving his political opponents ample time for out-maneuvering his plan of proposed dissolution of provincial assemblies. It would have been more appropriate if Imran Khan along with his political allies had used this limited time to provide services and maximum relief to the people before the General Elections.
It is also incomprehensible that Imran Khan has accused the Election Commission and the Chief Election Commissioner of bias many times. Will Imran Khan accept the election results when elections will be conducted by the same Election Commission under the management and administration of the same, allegedly biased, Chief Election Commissioner? If, in the eyes of Imran Khan, the elections are rigged and the polling results are dubious, what will be the course of action? Will the country continue to suffer from the same political uncertainty? It has also been established that there is an obvious split within the party over the proposal to dissolve the provincial assemblies, which was also observed at the time of the proposal of resignations from the National Assembly. Along with the division within the party, PTI allies are also in confusion. The main reason is Imran Khan's delay in decision-making and lack of any solid political strategy and planning.
"There is a strange tragedy in Imran's political life. Whatever he had done, he later regretted it. The advisors he got, gave wrong advice and cheated". That is how an analyst summarized Imran Khan’s political life, ignoring one hardcore fact that, luck has always been favoring him so far. His more than necessary complacency and has already cast him dearly and yet, he keeps on looking towards the very same forces those booted and drummed him out of the government.
Imran Khan pretends, under false pretense, that he is fighting the state and the ‘state within the state’. But in reality, he is playing his opponents’ game at their preferred grounds.
Hassan
Saleem Awan
December
19, 2022
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