Imran Khan: Is he the savior?

It is believed in certain quarters that Imran Khan is the only one among the current top leadership who has the vision, the will and the ability to pull the nation out of the current and the deepening crisis in almost all areas of the governance.
He has an enviable track record of 1992 cricket World Cup, Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital, Namal University and his work for the flood relief. He is generally considered to be an honest man with abundant will power and enthusiasm. Some people believe that he is “the savior.”
There are certain other opinions too, some authors write: “He would be very easily led and misled ... and I think the military would probably continue to call the shots.” “Many individuals might support him, but that’s individuals.” “He obviously had this great playboy reputation, and he was gorgeous,” “He is only rhetoric, a cloud that is never going to rain” and “Being popular on social media is good but that is not going to win the election for you.”
As the new elections are just round the corner, there is a very serious debate about the possible outcomes. Would people still vote for current politicians with their very dismal performance where virtually no government exists today in many parts of the country? Have the people learned nothing from CNG queues, unprecedented power shortages, frozen dollar accounts, family dynasties, money laundering and drug mafias, drone attacks, collapse of law and order and security, Karachi carnage, a burning Balochistan, rampant corruption, incompetence and cronyism?
Despite these, people have not risen. There are no signs of boiling lava waiting to explode. The present government has been successful in holding on to its allies by hook or by crook. The allies too are happy to sing and dance at the whim of the government as long as they get to wet their beak. One wonders if we have anything left that is not for sale, for the right price. This includes media, opinion makers, politicians, religious bigots, civil service law enforcing agencies, people in uniform and black coats and all of us.
A very successful rally in Lahore in October 2011 and then one in Karachi brought Imran Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) at the forefront of the political scene. A lot of new people joined his party. Some of ill repute too jumped the bandwagon and began to become more prominent. This led to a considerable amount of criticism. It is said and perhaps it is true that though Imran Khan does have the qualities mentioned above, he is not so proficient at the game of the politics, the way it is played in Pakistan.
To be a successful politician in Pakistan, you need to be a skillful intriguer, adept at Machiavellian politics, you should have fast reflexes to grab the opportunities, make and break promises and loyalties, be able to stab in the back and you should not have any principles, whatsoever. In short you have to be quite dirty and be a great grand master of political chess to be successful in this game.
I see three main issues that are going to determine the outcome of Tehreek-e -nsaf in the next elections:
First: Electioneering: This is an altogether different kettle of fish. Khan would do well to be mindful of the ground reality of the science of electioneering. Popular politics and election politics are different.
Jamat-e-Islami and Asghar Khan too were able pull big crowds in the past.
Only social media is not going to carry the day nor would popularity among expatriates put a new flag on the Parliament. Urban versus rural population, educated versus uneducated masses, bullets and bullies all are going to be important factors. Money, and huge amounts of it, has already changed hands and would continue to influence media and masses. Bogus religious scholars would continue to misguide illiterate zealots. There are too many factors, many known and some unknown and here is the election, naive Tehreek-e-Insaf and roaring Khan in his first real election against the political foes who are election hardened, loaded with money, politically smart, unscrupulous to their very core and who do not give a fig for the principles, morals or ethics.
Second: It would be wise that like-minded parties and those with relatively clean track record join hands to not let others take advantage of their divided votes. While there may be merit in the grievances of different groups toward each other and of course, the politics should not be without principles but one would hope that the political sense and wisdom would prevail.
Third: So far, PTI is not looking ready for elections. By this time, candidates should have been identified and they should have already done a lot of ground work in their constituencies. Election alliances should have been considered and finalized. For most of this year, PTI has been busy holding elections within their own party, a very laudable cause but is the timing right? Should it have taken so long? Is it not causing rift within the party? The current focus should have been forthcoming national elections. There are several questions about party discipline and organization. All in all, there is a lot to wonder about the chances of Imran Khan’s success in the forthcoming elections.
So what are our choices? Current regime and its allies? We are at the brink of collapse and it is time for us either to wake up from this slumber and choose our right to elect sensibly or be doomed. Khan and Tehreek e Insaf? They really have to put their house in order and get going as time is running short.
Imran khan may not be adept at political chess but right now we don’t need that anyway. Other ethnic and religious parties may play support roles but most of those would be for sell.
In the end, we have to decide. We are the ones who are going to pay the price of the wrong decision and reap the benefit of the right one. We cannot afford this apathy, carelessness and cowardice to not stand up for our life, our future and our next generation. We have to stand up, fight, shout, cry and do whatever it takes to get us out of this living hell.
If not, it is very likely that we would cease to exist as a nation. Is our fabric of principles, morals and ethics completely torn? Have we got any amount of courage left to stand up for our rights and respect? Have we completely stopped to look beyond ourselves? What are we waiting for? What has made us stoop so low? Have we not thrown ourselves at the mercy of vultures and have they not torn us apart? Manna wa Salwa is not going to fall from the heaven. No, not anymore. Let’s not wait for Ababeel, we have to do it ourselves, yes, we, the people.