To vote:
• There’s no doubt in the fact that he has magnetized the youth, especially the urban youth, to abandon the comfort of their homes and move forward from mere words; Imran Khan brought them to the streets and no matter how or what he is, he at least unfolded a new chapter in our youth’s political activism which is a dire need today.
• On a neutral stand-point, Imran Khan is someone who hasn’t been tested yet. Despite all the talk about Imran Khan being the ‘suicide’ option, even worse than status quo, the fact remains that so far, Imran Khan has never been found involved in any corruption charges. And the feats he has achieved in the past, from leading Pakistan to a run for World Cup to establishing the hospital and a university, all these clearly tell that here is a man who wants a social change and who has tried to bring it as far as he could. So, after all give and take, Imran is still someone who one seeks out as a possibly better option. In short, his past record shows him a man who is honest and incorruptible.
• Imran Khan does not come from a political background or hasn’t been launched by one of the major political parties and then took his own stage. He’s self-made, in so far as his political achievements are concerned.
• Imran Khan is a face well-known internationally. He is a person who knows how to speak well, how to get his point across and how to adjust to different kinds of audiences. Just ask yourself, who would the world take more seriously when addressing at UN General Assembly – Mian Nawaz Sharif, Asif Ali Zardari, Altaf Hussain (just saying) or Imran Khan? Plus, his British connections may let him sale relatively smoother in the rough waters of foreign diplomacy. That, of course is an assumption but a fair comparison lends it weight.
• Not only youth but a number of intellectuals, media personnel and a constituency of literate populace sides with him. While you will see men shipped from rural regions and ‘patwaris’ are the gatherings of both PPP and PML-N, the jalsa at Minar-e-Pakistan had people from all walks of life, most of the politically conscious, at least in comparison to the voters of PPP and PML-N.
• Thus far, Imran Khan hasn’t pitched in any ethnic-centric, region-centric or any other exclusive rhetoric. He claims to be fighting for elimination of corruption, all over Pakistan. Whatever the manifesto of PTI encompasses, it speaks for the entire Pakistan. And that is manifest in both the words and actions of PTI thus far.
• Imran Khan talked about women rights, about educating Pakistan and similar other objectives which pretty much constitute much of what’s wrong with Pakistan today.
Not to vote:
• The chief problem that I find with Imran Khan is his anti-US rhetoric and pro-Taliban stance. Of course he hasn’t openly supported Taliban like JI and others, he has never spoken against him. He speaks of talking to Taliban by ending war or terror and thus restoring peace but all this is a highly impractical as well as illogical. Taliban are not ready for talks, their Shriah-aimed ambitions are not regional but universal and they are not to be told to ‘give up’ their demands just like that. A recent proof to that can be found in the example of the fate Rabbani met in Afghanistan.
• Another great concern is about the personnel his party has been embracing. From Hamid Gul to Jamat-e-Islami rightists, his party has well catered to all sorts of members without disagreeing with their ideology. PTI has also been indiscriminate towards accepting such politicians who have abandoned other ships or were kicked out, some of them even on corruption charges. So whereas yes, Imran Khan comes clean on the issue of corruption, his party seems to be taking a somewhat relaxed stance towards it.
• The worst, of all things leveled against Imran Khan, is his alleged involvement with the deep state or what we know as military establishment. There has been talk of agencies supporting his cause and Imran’s tacit approval of army’s actions since he never talked against the army or it’s exploitations in Pakistan. And this allegation gains much currency when one sees that right now, PTI is only hurting PML-N’s vote-bank, the only party in the political arena who aims to bring army to accountability. Naturally, the logical path for army is to support Kaptaan and that is understandable – but Kaptaan’s support for army is what perplexes many since corruption simply can never be eliminated from Pakistan until army, too, is brought under accountability.
• Recently, PTI arranged a demonstration in Peshawar where it blocked roads to barr NATO tankers from going across. According to media reports, the demonstration was attended by a number of extremist right-wing parties. Also, on the way back, Imran stopped by at the Maulana Sami-ul-Haq’s seminary, the great madressah which has the ‘honor’ of having first launched Taliban who were students there. This is not to hand-pick a single example and lambaste PTI over it – rather, this is simply a proof to the aforementioned assertion that Imran Khan seems to sport pro-Taliban sentiments – now whether these sentiments arise purely out of his anti-US strategy or are these a result of some military minds working to shape PTI’s orientation, one cannot say. But those are the facts.
While that pretty much sums the chief features of both sides of the mirror, let me add that I haven’t absolutely ticked off Imran Khan. He has made his presence known and he may well have a political future, perhaps a significant one. What makes me wonder is that in recent days, in fact within a week of his jalsa, a number of intellectuals have been won over by him – they are optimistic, liberal, humanists and they see a hope in him. My sole hope with Imran Khan, however, is that the mistakes he has made thus far and the errors he has committed in the estimation and ideology of the Taliban and other right-wingers is a result of his naiveté and political immaturity, further bolstered by the ‘patronage’ of JI hawks and exploited (?) by the military establishment. One can only hope that once the liberal coterie abandons its distanced criticism and joins the flock, Imran Khan may have a chance of bettering his views and consequently, his policies. I, personally, think he will be the last man to concede to the implementation of Shriah.
Related articles
- Will popular Imran Khan be independent too? – Pakistan Daily Times (news.google.com)
Very good post, Salman!
I’d like to add one more point to the Not Vote list: the expected (and likely?) alliance of PTI with JI once PTI comes to power. If by voting PTI, we are also helping Jamaat-e-Islami come into power, then this provides the liberals who vehemently disagree with JI policies a genuine reason not to vote.
Posted by Awais Aftab | November 3, 2011, 2:07 amI must say a lot of things keep adding to the not-to-vote list. Here, seems like PTI and JI won’t take long for an all-open alliance.
This pretty much validates the chief concerns of the liberals -sigh-
Posted by Salman Latif | November 3, 2011, 2:25 amI don’t really get this,why people think Imran khan is pro taliban.its just propoganda,he wants to eradicate extremism root cause that is poverty,illiteracy and most important to end so called war on terror which destroyed pakistan’s economy.If US can do everthing which is best for its interests then Why not pakistan?
Drone attacks just laying more foundations of extremism rather to end it.Because people who are not even terrorists are becoming victim of drone attacks.
He is only person we can look forward to in the current situ.Do we have any other best choice?PPP,MQM and PML ABC ‘s tenure we have seen.
Still people giving reasons not to vote for him..its just lame,stupid and Sad.
Posted by Adnan | November 3, 2011, 2:25 amHe is pro-Taliban and he has repeatedly given statements that clearly show that. Do you really think that one day you stop drone attacks and send US packing from Afghanistan, the Taliban will be happy and say ‘Brothers again, hehe?’ Seriously, this theory needs a reality check – a person who believes that he is sent in this world to implement Shriah and that everyone who opposes him is an infidel is not going away, whether or not there are drone attacks, whether or not US presence in this region diminishes.
Posted by Salman Latif | November 3, 2011, 7:00 pmAnother issue: he has a ‘non-conciliatory’ stance towards India, whereas the thrust of most major parties is towards reconciling differences and coming to an acceptable conclusion of disputes
Posted by Adnan | November 3, 2011, 3:09 amDo you think that’s commendable? Do you think we should prepare for yet another war with India, support militants in Kashmir, lose another thousand of lives, give away a major portion of our budget to army and well….yield nothing, just like the last 60 years? I think this is a not-to-vote against IK – I really like Sharif’s stance on Indo-Pak relations – he seems to have realized that the best option, for both nations, is to have good bilateral relations in trade and otherwise.
Posted by Salman Latif | November 3, 2011, 7:02 pm1. According to PTI’s official facebook page the alliance with JI is a hoax.
2. Alot of the points mentioned in this article such as “his alleged involvement with the deep state or what we know as military establishment” are based on rumors.
3. Imran Khan is NOT anti US or pro Taliban. He is simply against the CIA Drone attacks in Pakistan which are to say the least, highly controversial by any standard.
Posted by nabeel | November 3, 2011, 3:13 amNabeel, can you please provide the exact link of the status that says so? Plus, do you also disagree to the facts that IK has repeatedly stood hands-in-hands with JI walas, in jalsas and gatherings?
As for IK’s relations with military establishment, yes, that can’t be definitely established. BUT what do you say when Hamid Gul and the likes supported him? When he never speaks against the army, not one word, rather is greatly inclined towards JI which itself is well supported by the army?
Drone attacks, yes, are open to debate, both because their efficacy is questionable and because the post-attack validation procedures are murky. BUT IK is not just against that – he seems pretty friendly with Taliban. Read the article in Friday Times telling he recently spoke to a congregation at Maulana Sami-ul-Haq’s madressah, the school that gave birth to Taliban.
Posted by Salman Latif | November 3, 2011, 7:05 pmthe man should be given a chance on the basis of the point 2 of `to vote`…
hey, I would like to know something whats the problem in the implementation of Shariah ,I mean ,I have seen many writers like you who denounce the implementation of Shariah in their works. Our religion`s rules are universal and can be adopted to any situation for all times to come.Right? so, why does everyone fidget on the thought of the implementation of a proper Islamic law? I certainly do not mean the Shariah as in Zia`s regime but true and proper Islamic Law.
kindly elaborate.
Posted by madiha ghous | November 3, 2011, 5:01 amWhich Sect’s Shariah will you implement?? Answer this question and you will understand the whole dynamics of it.
Posted by Shehroz | November 3, 2011, 3:08 pmhmm yeah you are right… now, I get the thing.Thanks.
hr religious party ,hr alim apni dhair eent ki masjid bna k betha hua ha
Posted by madiha ghous | November 3, 2011, 6:06 pmYes Madiha, that’s the very problem. Who’s Islam will be implemented? Sufis, JI’s, JUI’s or Taliban’s? And a more important question is, does Islam have place in the political arena? Is it not a spiritual path of leading life? Turkey gives us an excellent example in this regard.
Plus, if political Islam is given space, it will inevitably always result in government such as Zia’s, Taliban’s or,at best, Iran’s.
Posted by Salman Latif | November 3, 2011, 7:10 pmhmm yeah, sad but true :(
Posted by madiha ghous | November 4, 2011, 12:15 amI excuse if what I say seems naive to you but honestly, I do not have a real know-how of our political situation ;that is why I request you to explain your point about the implementation of Shariah.
Posted by madiha ghous | November 3, 2011, 5:04 amYour article has a basic flaw.In the section “To VOTE” u have written all the facts whereas in the section “Not to Vote” u have written all rumors.
I would like u to read Imran khan’s book before writing a piece on him.That would make u more clear on his personality,aims and policies.
Another helpful blog will be this.
http://arslank.wordpress.com/2011/08/16/opinion-makers-and-their-imaginary-tales/
Posted by Abdullah | November 3, 2011, 5:05 amAbdullah, most of the not-to-vote points are based upon IK’s public declarations of his arms and the public displays of his ‘fondness’ for JI. A few assumptions yes, but let’s not make respect for one man cloud rational judgement! :)
Posted by Salman Latif | November 3, 2011, 7:20 pmAlso please elaborate what do u mean by LIBERAL??Everywhere around the world Liberals are seen as people who are anti-war ,is there some meaning of Liberal in Pakistan??
Posted by Abdullah | November 3, 2011, 5:07 amLiberal, in Pakistani context, means the people who have stood for human rights. Liberals were anti-war when Pak army launched a massacre on Bengalis. It was anti-war when Pakistan was fighting a US-sponsored war and rather than use it to dispel the genuine danger of communism, utilized it for all the wrong ends. Liberals are against the current policy of fighting a war that is not being actually fought – of sheltering Jihadis by the army in the hope that they would be used sometime in the future. In short, liberals stand mostly for rational opinions based upon facts and no conspiracy theories.
Nonetheless, there are morons everywhere. And so, don’t expect every liberal to be an embodiment of all that I said above! :)
Posted by Salman Latif | November 3, 2011, 7:23 pmSalman, like you I too am skeptical and for the very same reasons. But a thought popped up in my head, those who are anti-taliban, pro-US, Liberal and most importantly, “experienced”, have put the country in deep shit. Their “policies” were useless. So now what? I guess Pakistan needs a break from such seasoned politicians who’ve been hardened in jails, tried and retried. But again, I haven’t conceded.
Posted by Forbidden Fruit | November 3, 2011, 1:29 pmYar, in all honesty, liberals have never had much say in politics or in policy-making. Tell me one such reign which didn’t rely on using religious parties to gain popularity among masses. Perhaps we need a break from such parties which use religion to exploit the masses and then implement fascist policies, no? :)
Posted by Salman Latif | November 3, 2011, 7:35 pmA very valid analysis, Salman. You should’ve had this piece published.
I’m not a supporter, therefore, I feel quite strongly about your points in the not-vote section. You’ve pointed stuff out quite vividly.
Posted by Amna K | November 4, 2011, 4:36 pmThank you, Amna. With a lot of articles making rounds on the web, I really wanted to clearly show the two aspects apart. And well…getting an article published on a blog takes time, and in a paper takes well…influence. Hence personal blog rules! :P
Posted by Salman Latif | November 4, 2011, 4:58 pmi was actually arguing with one of my cousins who lives in karachi…she was all against Imran khan for so and so reasons… thanks for the post. This will help. A lot!
Posted by eva626 | November 4, 2011, 11:22 pmYou are very welcome! :)
Posted by Salman Latif | November 5, 2011, 12:08 pmLol btw Imran Khan is no angel either… He is being highly diplomatic now a days and seriously trying to be both liberal and religion: We have tried every thieving, stealing, back biting, “parhay likhay jahil” who would do anything to embarrass this country so i kinda agree with the “he hasn’t been tested” So I say this year we give him a chance… (Heart break since I wanted the comedian aka Altaf Bhai to win… Can you imagine how epicly funny his every speech would be… Imagine him singing in the UNO OMG OMG OMG :P)
Posted by Dev!l | November 6, 2011, 7:24 amYou make some great points and I agree that there are questions that Imran and the PTI need to answer in order to clarify their stance on these questions. On the potential alliance with JI, they have said that it is not happening, so that’s one down, but the Pro-Taliban question is still out there. On balance, I agree with the vision that Imran has and, above all, he’s the only one I believe will make a faithful attempt to implement strategies to execute that vision. The rest are all there to line their pockets and their legacy of corruption, economic ruin, unemployment, inflation, the energy crisis, mismanagement and ineptitude is out there for all to see. More of my thoughts on redwishdotcom.wordpress.com if you’re interested.
Posted by Ahmer Murad | November 7, 2011, 9:57 amGood analysis. The thing is that Pakistan needs to get away from the thinking it’s millitary establishment is advocating for past 60 years. We have to solve our internal problems first then worry about external problems. Moreover, the day Pakistan becomes sincere with its neighbours it won’t have much problems externaly too. Under Imran khan I don’t see this happening. At this moment there is only one figure who seems to be against the tide of madness whether you like it or not its Nawaz sharif.
Posted by Yasir Mehmood | November 14, 2011, 3:18 amYasir, how do you see IK’s recent interview in which he has openly stated that he will be the boss if he wins the elections and that the army chief and ISI will be his underlings? I mean he may not be sincere when he says that, for all that we know, but to say such a thing on TV and that, before elections, is quite something. As regards out ‘internal’ problems, I sure would want to know how did PML-N do in Punjab now that it had a run? I am no fan of IK but let’s not pretend that the traditional politicians are suddenly the age-worn, time-experienced fellows whereas IK some toddler being played with by the security establishment.
Posted by Salman Latif | November 14, 2011, 10:48 amWell the interview you are talking about was intended for Indian audience!. I think Imran khan was afraid of losing his Indian fanship, plus it would have been better if Imran khan presents the same ground realities to pakistani public while he is on Pakistani tv where he tries to cash with his ‘Talk with millitants’ rhetoric. I feel its better if he tries to educate public on the ground realities rather than keeping them in a fool’s paradise. We all know that after Abbotabad incident only Nawaz questioned our army and intelligence chiefs while rest of the pack including imran khan played army’s ball. Regarding, punjab government I think its performance is relatively better than other provinces. There is a division between central and provincial subjects so its difficult to run provincial departments when federal departments are inefficient. I mean how you can develop industry in your provice when you have no electricty or bring investment, tourism when there is terrorism?. Yesterday qureshi joined PTI I mean what type of change this is which imran khan intends by inducting a pir whose family is exploiting illiertate people since prepartition! .
aap ka blog kafi din se parh raha hun acha likhte ho aap. Main aap he ki university ka 3rd year civil ka student hun!
Posted by Yasir Mehmood | November 15, 2011, 10:31 pmexactly what i think
http://tribune.com.pk/story/291708/good-intentions-and-hell/
Posted by Yasir Mehmood | November 15, 2011, 10:38 pmpeople need to know about the people they are voting for. It is very true that people who are critical of Imran Khan believe that establishing a hospital and college will not make him a good leader. He may become another stooge in the hands of agencies. However, I believe that either we need a leader Amongst us or we have to once again believe in the promises made by THEM.
Posted by toobaniazi | November 20, 2011, 9:10 pmWell…it’s true that IK has emerged as a genuine leader at least for the youth. That stands him apart from the rest of the political coterie.
Posted by Salman Latif | December 7, 2011, 12:22 amyeah his pro-taliban attitude does worry me a bit but in the end…he is the one who hasn’t been tested at all…we’ve given second chances to PPP and PML-N so why not give this one to him?? after all he did deliver what he promised
Posted by Asma | December 3, 2011, 11:59 pmvote 4 pmln
Posted by WAJID AZIZ CH | January 11, 2012, 10:57 pmThis is the reason why you vote for Imran Khan.
Must Read: 10 Reason to Vote Imran Khan
http://www.pakpeace.com/2012/01/06/why-vote-imran-khan-pti/
Posted by Fawaz Qamar | January 19, 2012, 6:22 pm