Kaptaan’s double face: A critical view on Imran Khan’s interview with Karan Thapar
The new puppet show was set in motion on Pakistan’s political screen in Lahore when diverse affiliates of Pakistan’s security establishment both from right wing and fake liberals gathered at the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Lahore rally and showed their full support for the establishment’s new pawn, Imran Khan. Times and again, Khan is described as a “the only clean, untried and untested politician ” for a good reason by Pakistani mainstream media.
It’s hard to escape fact that the electronic media has undoubtedly played a large part in introducing Imran Khan as a political option. The media free air time & team staffers are always available to assist/serve him.(If someone doubts then here you go this is the evidence of media’s role in promotion of fake leader).
This Kaptaan started his political inning, long ago, supporting the 7 point agenda of General Pervez Musharraf, shamelessly begging vote for General’s referendum. Now, in a new role he wants to be the master of Intelligence and security establishment. But hold on; let’s analyze first his political history & ideology which Pakistani media always miss.
The Manifesto of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf seems derived from the General’s vision & 7 point agenda style view, mainly focus on politicians corruption and their accountability. And mobilizing people on the sovereignty doctrine based on Paranoia and megalomania. His politics is purely pro establishment, while it’s true he opposed General Musharraf in his last over. But he never criticized or questioned security narratives, imbalance between the civilian and military institutions. He never talked of the judicial enquiry into the massacre of different ethnic & religious groups. He never recognizes importance of the Charter on Democracy, never appreciates any of Parliament’s efforts towards more democratization and never says a single positive thing about parliament’s landmark achievement 18th amendment. So how he can become symbol of civilian supremacy?
In this fraudulent scenario, Imran Khan’s Interview with Karan Thapar was a timely and much needed interview on the independent & less friendly TV talk show in which tough questions are asked. So, eventually his hypocrisy is exposed by the independent anchor, as when Kaptaan is in Mir, Abbasi, Malik & T Hussain’s friendly talk shows, he has another persona, which can be a bit ultra nationalist, radical and ‘Ghariat mand’ oppositional.
Kaptaan’s lies on Pakistani screen, in particular, have been voluminous, he has deliberately misled the people of Pakistan for more than 16 years, ever since he is in political ground when he asserts establishment’s lines, against the evidence, that Pakistan’s main issue is corruption/accountability of politicians and not civilians supremacy & continuity of democratic process, moreover when he ignores terrorist groups responsible for the acts of terrorism in Pakistan and presents solely Drones and US presence in Afghanistan as the cause for increased terrorist acts in Pakistan.
But in India Talk show where anchor was less friendly Kaptaan seems totally opposite. He even quickly disappointed his right wing ‘Ghariat mand’ supporters when he suggested that for Indo-Pak ties to improve, the Kashmir issue should be put on the back burner for a while.
He praised the Army for restoring peace & eliminating terrorism independently and without government’s input:
“Balochistan is being handled by the Army. The entire FATA operation is being handled by the Army. No civilian input. SWAT today is controlled by the army. Karachi, these rangers are controlling Karachi. What is this government doing?”
When Kaptaan said this he is not viewing the army as subservient to the government. It seems he has not read Constitution of Pakistan (1973) & especially its Article: 245 Functions of Armed Forces. Which states that 1[(1)] The Armed Forces shall, under the directions of the Federal Government, defend Pakistan against external aggression or threat of war, and, subject to law, act in aid of civil power when called upon to do so.
On the contrary, he blamed civilian government, president Zardari and PM Gillani for the corruption within Armed forces ranks:
Karan Thapar: One of the strongest points you make is one against corruption. The Army has a major role in Pakistan in corruption. But you don’t say a word about Army’s corruption.
Imran Khan: But whose is responsible for the Army’s corruption? The Prime Minister.
Karan Thapar: Aren’t you exonerating exculpating the Army when you say that?
Imran Khan: But under General Musharraf I was criticising the corruption.Karan Thapar: But now?
Imran Khan: Under General Musharraf there was a GHQ being built here, I was the first one who said this is a massive corruption going on. And it actually stopped because of me. Now, this is posed to be a democratic set up. Either they should say that they are not in-charge or they should resign. If they cannot be responsible for what is going on in Pakistan, they should resign. So, anyway, to blame the Army when you have Asif Zardari and Gilani having all the perks and privileges of power. So, what are they doing there?
Karan Thapar: Alright, you are not criticising the Army because you claim this is a democratic set up, the civilians should take the blame, but the truth is that on critical issues, the generals are hobbled civilian politicians whether it is defence related matters or it is relation with America or India, the Army calls the shots. Now if you become prime minister, will you accept a subordinate status on those issues or will you seek a better balance between civilian politicians and Army General?
Imran Khan: Well the truth is also that when Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was the prime minister, he sacked the Army chief, he sacked the air chief. He was a genuine leader, a prime minister.
Kaptaan proves he has the pro establishment mindset & he is in politics just for recycling state’s century old narratives. He is by far the most undemocratic person I ever seen.
In non Pakistani talk show he’s contradicting his own position and held intelligence agencies responsible for Pakistan’s myriad and complex problems:
Imran Khan: I think the time has come to have a new relationship. And, I believe that you know if you can eliminate the roles of intelligence agencies, where two civilian governments can sit together and say we’ll resolve all our issues through dialogue – I think it’s a way forward because the benefits of peace are enormous.
Kaptaan keeps changing the positions to guarantee a favorable political outcome & most of his narratives not based on logic but political expediency. He does not mind talking appropriate words to suit to the audience, here on Pakistani right wing media he ignores terrorist safe havens, the headquarters of the banned or permitted organizations that espouse these extremist ideologies here & level of fundamentalism within society.
On Karan Tharpar’s show he admitted that supporting terrorist groups as strategic assets is now an outdated concept of having them as assets.
Imran Khan: Well, as a policy, if Tehreek-e-Insaaf government comes to power we will insist on there being no militant groups operating within Pakistan because the world has changed. So, the groups that were created during the Afghan jihad, now this is now an outdated concept of having them as assets. The time has come to not only remove all militant groups, disarm them but also a de-weaponisation in Pakistan because it causing massive problems within the country. So, therefore, once that issue disappears, once there are no militant groups within Pakistan, I think that issue will disappear.
On Pakistani TV Screen Imran always says he would negotiate with instead of fighting the Taliban & Taliban killing & blowing Schools are lies. He has also advised government to stop Bush’s war in Afghanistan & Pakistan by talking to Taliban leaders and ‘No peace without Taliban’.
Let’s see what he says in Karan Thapar show?
Karan Thapar: Today as we speak in Islamabad, the spokesman of the Tehrik-e-Taliban has officially said that you are the agent of West and they reject your overture. And you are attempting to negotiate with Taliban to bring them on line but they’ve rejected your overtures. So, to begin with your approach, forgive me, a kick in the teeth.
Imran Khan: Who is this spokesman of Taliban? There are about 30 taliban groups operating. My idea would not be to negotiate with any group. My idea would be to win the people of tribal areas to our side. And every poll and survey conducted in the tribal areas has said number one party is Tehrik-e-Insaaf.
The contradiction and hypocrisy of ‘Great Kaptaan’ quite visible when he was not really answering the question properly & ducked smartly most critical questions related to terrorist groups and Chief of Army staff. Here on Pakistani TV screen his theory is if you win hearts and minds of the tribal people you can win war on terror. But on Devil’s Advocate his position is different:
Imran Khan: The time has come to not only remove all militant groups, disarm them but also a de-weaponisation in Pakistan because it causing massive problems within the country. So, therefore, once that issue disappears, once there are no militant groups within Pakistan, I think that issue will disappear.
Here Kaptaan is suggesting that currently Intelligence and security establishment is not operating under civilian government & not negating that Pakistan is sponsoring terrorism.
Imran Khan: Well, in your last interview I said as the Prime Minister of a country where the responsibility lies on me, so should the authority be on me. Its not going to happen that here’s me holding responsibility and some group is operating independently, whether its ISI or any other group. So the answer is ISI and the Army would be under a civilian governmental control. And if I can’t do it, I would much rather resign.
Karan Thapar: The Indian people are hearing you as you as you speak tonight. They’ve known you as a cricketer, they’ve admired you and some have even loved you. Is this a promise you’re making them?
Imran Khan: I am not only making a promise to the Indian people, I think I am making a promise to anyone. The biggest problem the United States faces, you know they worry about terrorism from Pakistani soil. Its not just India who is worried. If I cannot stop terrorism from Pakistani soil, I would rather not be the Prime Minister.
Karan Thapar: And that is a promise you’re making the Indian people tonight, here and now?
Imran Khan: To every people, not just Indian people. At the moment the Afghans are complaining, the Europeans, the Americans, everyone, any terrorism is blamed on Pakistan.
Kaptaan has never had an interview like that before & that interview will surely haunt him for a long time. He looks so confused and failed to defend his childish economic program which solely revolves around his personality, magnetism & appeal.
Karan Thapar: At the moment, 2.5 per cent of your population pay taxes. Can you take it up sufficiently and quickly enough to overcome the one trillion deficit?
Imran Khan: The reason is that none of the political leaders give taxes. All the political leaders’ wealth is lying outside. They hide their wealth, they conceive their wealth. They don’t declare their assets. They don’t give taxes. Nawaz Sharif as prime minister gave Rs 5,000 crore as income tax. He is a billionaire in dollar terms.
Karan Thapar: But how you are going to force politicians, and not just politicians, how you are going to force businessmen, professionals and all the others who don’t pay taxes. What you are going to do to make them pay taxes?
Imran Khan: Number one. Lead by example. Myself, my cabinet declare asset. We have already said that no one can control elections unless they declare their assets. And if we find any concealed assets they are disqualified. Number one, ‘benami’, means whether concealed their assets in other names, that will be outlawed. Number two. Any assets lying abroad, if they are not declared, it will be considered perjury, it will be prison sentence. So I am saying first the stick and then the carrot.
Karan Thapar: The problem is not just to make people to pay taxes, the problem is that you have the economy that is in the process of winding down if not unravelling. Your inflation is officially touching 12 per cent. Unofficially it is said it is twice or may be three times higher. Growth has fallen below 2.5 per cent. You have crippling power shortages and you have gone on record to say that you will stop US aid. How will you revive the economy? You can’t do it simply on the back of more taxes.
Imran Khan: First of all, except for the martial plan, aid has solved any country’s problem. All it does is props up crooks like our president here.
Karan Thapar: But martial plan is a great example that how aid can be properly used.
Imran Khan: But aid normally comes with strings attached. Aid normally stops you from making the reforms needed to structure your economy. What aid actually does is, it helps the crooked government and incompetent governments.
Karan Thapar: But in absence of aid, how would you revive the economy that is close to collapse, which is the true case in Pakistan?
Imran Khan: There is a one trillion rupee deficit. I guarantee you that we can collect 2 trillion rupees from Pakistanis.
Karan Thapar: How?Imran Khan: Number one. Remove the exemptions. Because the rich has given themselves exemptions. Now just to give you an idea. Nawaz Sharif made a law where any remittances coming here were not tax free but no question asked. So that to whiten the black money. Number two. You have to give feeling to the people that their taxes are going to be spent on them. So, abolish all these symbols of extravagances, PM’s houses, President, Governor houses.
Karan Thapar: How do you abolish them, you are going to demolish them?
Imran Khan: No, make them into educational institutions. Symbolically, we need education emergency in Pakistan. We have the whole plan.
Karan Thapar: But that won’t revive the economy. It will tackle the education problem but it won’t revive the economy.
Imran Khan: No, but what it will do is, it will inspire people to pay taxes. I get the highest donations in Pakistan every year. In one month, they gave me two billion rupee for the floods. Here is the country which gives highest per capita charity but the lowest taxes. Why? Because they don’t trust the government.
Karan Thapar: Now, the point is that you are relying on the people, A be a inspire and may be you are inspirational and two, paying taxes on time and properly. Many people turnaround and say this is idealism to the point of simplicity.
Imran Khan: No. Hold on. I am idealistic, that’s number one. Remember, I am the only politician, who people trust, who people give money to.
Karan Thapar: So when Imran Khan goes to tell pay taxes, people will. That’s what you are telling me.
Imran Khan: No but you have to take a series of steps. In US, people don’t pay taxes because they are more honest. It’s a non-bailable offence. You get caught not paying taxes, you are going to jail. So you’ve to have two both. At the one stage inspire them and on the other make sure the top big fish who evade taxes go to jail.
Karan Thapar: Once again the time alone will tell whether this novel if not unique solution to Pakistan’s economic problem deliver the good.
Here’s the transcript from the interview part I:
Here’s the transcript from the interview part II:
Related Videos:
Imran Khan’s Interview with karan thapar and analysis by Mustaq Minhas & Nusrat Javed in Bolta Pakistan
14th November 2011
Imran Khan is afraid of Mumtaz Qadris.
http://youtu.be/vMYkVFlzJ-c
LUBP must refrain from baseless propaganda.
LUBP has lost all it’s respect amongst bloggers.
Continous baseless propaganda and attempts of slander instead of discussing any concrite policy to built Pakistan. What a shame!
Shame on the above shameless idiots, who cant see the truth of the playboy. Thanks to Gen Hamid Gul he finally got all the jihadis, generals and intellegnce agencies retd personal in PTI. Stupid dumb !
you seem to ber looser anyway!propaganda wont help you!i m going to dislike this pathetics page!do something good for your country and not for the money u r paid for this propaganda! trust me, your children need a fresher air to beath but like this your children will also end up being loosers like you!
Why was he saying things exactly opposit to what he says in Pakistani media…A true duffer and an establishment stooge…….
Here is another eye-opening article about Kaptaan’s confused political approach & right wing mindset. This article is dedicated to his senseless blind fake liberal supporters:
Yes we Khan, but should we?
Pakistan is not immune to the insurrectionary air of the Arab Spring or the international “Occupy” movements. There is a genuine appetite for change, and Imran Khan is adeptly channelling it. Buoyed by these sentiments, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf jalsa (rally) in Lahore on October 30 was undoubtedly a huge success. Imran Khan is the harbinger of the Pakistani Spring. Change is coming. Yes we Khan.
Clinging to this simplistic hope, throngs of urban, middle-class, and typically election shunning Pakistani youth have gravitated towards the PTI. Politicization of this section of society is, of course, a welcome development. The highly conservative, Islamist or ultra-nationalistic/xenophobic social and political outlooks of many such youth make the PTI their natural home.
But other progressive minded young – and sometimes older – people have also been taken in by Imran Khan’s political googlies. Informed more by his cult of personality than his politics, they genuinely believe that Imran Khan represents a moderate progressive or even a leftist political movement – a movement for radical change.
This article highlights the inconsistency between the PTI’s progressive rhetoric and political action.
Enlightened Islam?
Imran Khan claims to lead a progressive movement, and now talks of “enlightened Islam” – a rehash of General Musharraf’s “enlightened moderation” claptrap. His actions have been far from it, and even further from any kind of progressive politics.
Elected to Parliament in 2002 as the PTI’s lone legislator, Imran Khan found himself ideologically and politically close to the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, a coalition of hard-line and far-right Islamist political parties. He supported the MMA leader, Maulana Fazalur Rahman’s failed bid to become Prime Minister. Imran Khan also backed the MMA in being a vocal critic of madrassah reforms, and of women who participated in mixed-sex road races. He remained close to the MMA even after it voted in favour of the Legal Framework Order and the Seventeenth Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan.
In line with the MMA, Khan also opposed the Womens’ Protection Bill in 2006. To his credit, Imran Khan explained that he thought the real problem was the underlying Hudood Ordinance. However, Khan did not introduce any amendments to the Bill, sponsor any separate legislation, or even propose a Parliamentary resolution to deal with the Hudood Ordinance. He has said little about it before or since.
Imran Khan’s closeness to the mullahs resulted in the flight of a number of progressives that had joined the party in the early days, including its first Secretary General, renowned environmental lawyer Dr Pervez Hassan, and the veteran leftist Meraj Muhammad Khan, who served as Secretary General between 1998 and 2003.
The void left in the PTI leadership by the departing progressives has been filled in large measure by some of the usual, often habitual, political defectors and by a large number of Jamaat-e-Islami members, including PTI Secretary General Dr Arif Alvi. Since the PTI does not hold internal elections and relies on nominations by fiat, it is likely that these familiar faces rather than PTI activists or any new leadership will contest elections.
To name a few:
Former Musharraf supporter and foreign policy crank Shireen Mazari (who was made a Vice-President of the PTI without an internal election)
Mian Azhar (a former governor of Punjab with PML-N who went on to found the PML-Q before returning to the PML-N)
Shahid Bhinder (formerly of PML-Q and Law Minister under Musharraf)
Farooq Amjad Mir (formerly of the PML-Q)
Malik Zaheer Abbas Khokar (formerly of PPP and PML-Q)
Ijaz Khan Jazi (formerly of PML-N who unsuccessfully contested a Rawalpindi by-election for the PTI in 2010)
Iftikhar Jhagra (formerly of PPP)
Khwaja Khan Hoti (formerly of the PPP and ANP, and former Minister of Social Welfare)
Tahir Rashid (formerly of PML-N and PML-Q)
Mian Mahmood ur Rasheed (former JI parliamentarian)
Masood Sharif Khan Khattak (formerly of PPP and a former Intelligence Bureau chief)
Former PPP Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Quereshi is also set to join.
A notable former Jamaati in the top leadership is PTI Vice President Ejaz Chaudhry who was ejected from the JI after facing allegations of corruption. He is now the PTI’s advisor on religious affairs and Imran Khan’s point person in the Punjab. Chaudhry is also in charge of PTI’s youth wing, the Insaf Students Federation. Under him, ISF activists have been sporting bandanas reading “ISF al-Jihad.”
The PTI remains close to former MMA partners the JI and JUI, often jointly organizing rallies. In 2009, Imran Khan heaped praise on the JI’s then leader Qazi Hussain Ahmed at a seminar at the Lahore Press Club, referring to Ahmed as his “brother.”
Ties to extremism
More troubling are the links between the PTI and other extremist organizations in Pakistan. Over the summer, Imran Khan personally visited the Darul-Uloom Haqqania in Akora Khattak en route to a dharna (sit in) in Peshawar. The Darul-Uloom, an extremist seminary popularly known as “the University of Jihad,” is accused by the Federal Investigation Agency of being the launching pad for former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s assassination. One of its more famous graduates is the Afghan warlord Jalaluddin Haqqani, who derives his name from his proud affiliation with his alma mater.
Moreover, in May this year Ejaz Chaudhury also attended a rally with Hafiz Saeed, the head of Jamaat-ud-Dawa, the political arm of the banned terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Tayyaba. The rally condemned the killing of Osama bin Laden, and declared him a “Martyr of Islam.” Funeral prayers were duly offered.
The flags of the Sipah-e-SahabaPakistan (SSP) have also become a sight seen at PTI rallies, some even featuring SSP-affiliated speakers. The SSP, a violently sectarian anti-Shia and anti-Christian organization, was banned as a terrorist group in 2002. SSP supporters are evidently folding into the PTI while carrying their own hateful agendas, as indicated by the presence of their distinct flags.
In the English press, Imran Khan condemns religious parties as “bigots completely lacking in compassion and tolerance,” as he states in his autobiography. However, the PTI’s cooperation with religious parties and extremist groups continues to proliferate, with press releases usually put out only in Urdu. Ejaz Chaudhury is reportedly a scheduled speaker at an upcoming SSP conference at the Lahore Press Club on November 15, 2011. Remember, the SSP is a banned terrorist organization. This is not out of character for the party. The PTI is frequently present at the events of extremist organizations such as the Aalmi Majlis Tahaffuz Khatm-e-Nubuwwat that hounds Ahmadis and celebrated Salman Taseer’s killer. This is hardly “enlightened Islam,” much less any kind of progressive politics.
Perhaps it is because of the PTI’s links to right-wing extremist groups that Imran Khan rarely condemns their hateful activities in public. Some former members of the PTI have even suggested that Imran Khan admires the bearded militants. However, he has made it clear through his statements and in his autobiography that he condemns the terrorism committed by the Tehreek-e-TalibanPakistan(TTP) and other such groups. Unfortunately, he usually does not do so publicly. From the bombing of Benzir Bhutto’s reception procession, to the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team, the bombings on Ahmadi congregations or Salman Taseer’s and Shahbaz Bhatti’s assassinations, Imran Khan blames the victims, the government or “foreign elements” only, never the terrorists.
There are hardly any examples of the PTI directly condemning Pakistani terrorist groups. This is stunning, given that of the 35000 Pakistanis that have been killed since 2001, a staggering 33000 have been killed in terrorist attacks or in military operations against militants, compared to around 2000 that have died in drone attacks.
In company with the religious parties, Imran Khan also opposed military operations against Islamist insurgents and al-Qaeda-linked foreign fighters, even in Swat after the TTP take-over of the territory in 2009. He believed the “root cause” of the terror unleashed in Swat was the region’s broken justice system. His fix was setting up Sharia courts as the TTP demanded. The PPP-sponsored Nizam-e-Adl regulations did set up Sharia courts in Swat. In return the TTP continued their march into Buner and other adjacent areas, vowing to continue fighting till their version of Sharia was imposed on the entire country. Imran Khan continued to oppose military action.
Blasphemy Laws
In November, 2010, Imran Khan gained considerable support from progressives for favouring amending Pakistan’s Blasphemy Laws, as they were “against the spirit of Islam and the Constitution of Pakistan.”
However, the PTI’s position quickly changed after Salman Taseer’s murder. After the outpouring of right-wing support for Taseer’s killer and Blasphemy Laws, Imran Khan dropped any talk of amending them. He now justifies their existence, and stated only that the laws should not be “misused.”
To underscore the PTI’s entente with right-wing forces, on January 30 – less than a month after Taseer’s murder – PTI activists and Vice President Ejaz Chaudhry attended a large rally of religious parties at The Mall in Lahore, pledging that his party would not allow any changes to Blasphemy Laws.
In recent (English language) interviews Imran Khan still speaks of reforming the laws. Yet the PTI attended a Namoos-e-Risalat rally in support of Taseer’s killer in Lahore on October 30 – one day before the Minar-e-Pakistan jalsa. Ejaz Chaudhry, speaking for Imran Khan (“Imran Khan ke taraf se…”), unequivocally stated that the Blasphemy Laws were a settled matter, and that being divine the PTI would tolerate no amendments.
There was no mention at all of blasphemy laws during the PTI jalsa on October 30, much to the chagrin of leaders of Pakistan’s minorities.
Democracy and the Military
Imran Khan’s democratic credentials are similarly mixed. He was an early supporter of the military coup by former president General Pervez Musharraf. He also supported the controversial referendum in 2002 that formally legitimated Musharraf as the President of Pakistan, rallying his supporters under the slogan of, “Musharraf first, all else second.” It was also reported that Musharraf personally intervened to secure Imran Khan’s narrow election victory, using both his imprimatur and state agencies.
Imran Khan has since admitted that his support for Musharraf was a mistake and that he had simply been “charmed” by the man. However, reports indicate that he has recently refreshed his ties with Musharraf (and Altaf Hussain) during a recent trip to London.
Rumours and reports (denied by Imran Khan) swirl about the PTI’s understanding with the Generals at GHQ. In any case, Imran Khan has already indicated a willingness to work with the military establishment. He recently attempted to redefine the relationship in the words, “The Establishment needs me, I don’t need the Establishment.” Tellingly, he also recently called on the army to intervene in enforcing Supreme Court judgements against the government. But his stance was most clearly conveyed when, perhaps sensing the government’s weakness after last years devastating floods, he stated, “Tehrik-e-Insaf will back military rule in the country for the sake of stability.”
Though an ad nauseum critic of American drone strikes, Imran Khan has never criticized the Pakistan military’s primary role in allowing the drones to fly and use facilities in Pakistan. Nor, for that matter, has he had much to say about civilian casualties as a result operations carried out by the Pakistani military, whether in Baluchistan or FATA. Nor has he extended his discourse on corruption to the military, even staying mum on recent revelations about the massive NLC scam.
For all the PTI’s talk of increased social spending, the PTI’s Manifesto also calls for the modernization of the military with emphasis on building up the air force and the navy, as well as mind-expanding nuclear weapons capability and ballistic missile arsenal. Given regional tensions, and that rapidly rising defence expenditure already represents 25% to a third of public spending, this is a dangerously expensive military laundry list.
Where do we go now?
Considerable momentum has built behind Imran Khan on the basis of the thinking that everyone else has been tried, so why not the PTI? This is nonsense on stilts, and perhaps the worst of all possible reasons to vote for the PTI. Firstly, it is not true. There are any dozens of political parties in Pakistan, including truly progressive options that have never been tried. And if Pakistan’s governance is to be a revolving door where everyone gets a turn, then should the likes of the SSP and the TTP line up too? After all, they have never been tried in government either.
But does any of the above provide an objective reason why Imran Khan should not get votes? It does not. Vote for the PTI if it approximates your beliefs and values despite – or even because of – its politics and associations. But remember politics, and particularly the democratic variety, is an inherently messy team sport. Even with a star player, the team and its strategies, alliances and associations matter.
Or perhaps the PTI represents the best out of a bad lot. After all, other political parties have also relied on the same old political elite, and courted religious bigots and the military for political advantage. Isn’t this just politics as usual in Pakistan? Precisely. Imran Khan’s is not the politics of change. It is politics as usual.
http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/8941/yes-we-khan-but-should-we/
I was shocked by the answers of Imran Khan to Karan Thapar. Imran Khan double speak!
VIEW: Imran: the sole warrior —A R Siddiqi
Imran Khan threatening to sort the army out or resign once he comes to power accentuates the military’s dilemma. He speaks of the army’s perceived threat to the civilian government of the day
‘Reining in the army’ or rubbing the army and ISI the wrong way? Imran Khan: all noise and fury but not without significance. Why must he pick on the army and its associated institutions more than any other single institution in his pre-electoral campaigning? The question leaves one wondering, in its uncanny congruence, at the generally negative and rather offensive western (European and American) media onslaught against the Pakistani military establishment.
With so much being written, aired and filmed against the national sword arm, must Imran Khan — Pakistan’s shadow prime minister in his own reckoning — lend his shoulder to the international juggernaut attempting to run Pakistan’s military over? Imran’s tirade could affect the military’s strategic orientation and structural homogeneity. Does he not realise that his criticism of the military leadership erodes the faith of the rank and file in the integrity of their commanders and their ability to lead? Besides being highly demoralising, this might as well be an unintended move to instigate men against their commanders. At least hypothetically so! He would do well to get his party’s research cell, if any, to assess the impact of his critique of the army on the soldiers’ morale up and down the ladder.
He ‘vowed’ to bring the army and the ISI under his ‘command’ if voted into power. Where Imran seems to adopt the line of least resistance, ill-fitting his bold proclamations, is to acknowledge what he would do should the army refuse to tow his line. He states that if the directives of his elected government were not followed he would opt to resign instead of staying in power. In other words, abandon the game rather than play it to the finish.
He re-affirmed that in his interview with Karan Thapar on CNN-IBN’s ‘Devil’s Advocate’. He would not talk of the violation of the constitution itself resulting from such deliberate obduracy on the part of the army, if ever, to accept the writ of his democratically elected government. Would he not invoke Article 6 depending on the severity of military intransigence?
Must Imran Khan always personalise every issue without involving his party, the PTI, and his shadow cabinet, which is saddled with collective responsibility for his and the party’s actions? Should they not also pack up and quit all at the same time?
In his CNN-IBN interview, he said that under him as the prime minister, whatever policy would be made by cabinet would be “enforced with every institution”. The question remains: who would enforce his policy? Could he, or anyone else in his place, ensure the ‘enforcement’ of the policy and the writ of his government without the required intervention of the law-enforcing agencies — the police in the first instance, and thereafter the military if the situation so demands? The ISI could not dare influence his government bereft of the ‘moral courage’ once he is in power.
What sort of a perception is that? For better or worse, the army remains the nation’s most organised institution. Viewed as a hostile force, where else would his shadow government find another force to ensure the security of his government and the defence of the country?
Rather than questioning the loyalty of the army, it might have been wiser on his part to leave the army alone during these critical times that are about the worst in the nation’s and the military’s history. The nation stands on the verge of shifting from its generally viewed status as a ‘failing state’ to the odious label of a ‘failed state’.
The army, in the language of the foreign media, might as well be a ‘rogue’ force in cahoots with al Qaeda and the Taliban. All the sacrifices in terms of men and materials notwithstanding, the army continues to suffer in this essentially American war on terror. All this is bad enough to hurt the army. Imran Khan threatening to sort the army out or resign once he comes to power accentuates the military’s dilemma. He speaks of the army’s perceived threat to the civilian government of the day at a time even when the Indian prime minister ‘believes’ that the Pakistan Army is ‘on board’ with the government of the day in the peace process.
Could there be a better testimony to civil-military harmony on an issue as intricate as the Indo-Pak peace process? Is Imran Khan not isolating himself from the nation’s vital security institution even before assuming supreme command?
The writer is a retired brigadier and can be reached at brigsiddiqi@yahoo.co.uk
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011%5C11%5C21%5Cstory_21-11-2011_pg3_6
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