An Enigma called Imran Khan

I know this one is going to be the most controversial of all my posts. Yet at the same time I deliberated the most while writing this. This post in many ways is crumbling of the myth of my childhood fascination and idol.

If there was anything that I followed like mad in my childhood, it was my hero, my idol, the demigod of my childhood – Imran Khan. I would mimic everything that I found him doing. I would bowl for hours in the scotching heat of June and July in street and in the courtyard. I went ecstatic when I found that he too is a Fish-buff like me. His father, Niazi Uncle (someone I have learnt a lot from, and someone who has always been extremely kind to me), is a good friend of my father and a mentor to me. Through this connection I had the privilege of meeting my childhood idol a few times. When he initiated fund raising for cancer hospital, I was selling tickets at fuel stations, road sides, walkways and shops. When he formed Tehrik-e-Insaaf, I was one of its earliest members (and my name could probably still be found in the record somewhere). But then the myth started to crumble.

My joining of Tehrik-e-Insaaf, coincided with beginning of my reading on Pakistani politics. As my good friend Noor Palijo puts it, I am a political animal. However, before 1994, my political loyalties were based on what I heard from my surroundings. My family was dominated by Leaguers back then (with the only yet very powerful exception of my father who was one of the earliest members of PPP and is an astute example of political tolerance). Under the family influence of Leaguers, I was a die hard league supporter believing in all the right wing agenda that was prevalent in Pakistani politics of 80s and 90s. I even delivered a speech at a corner meeting of a League candidate on insistence of a close family friend during 1993 elections. However, after my joining of F.C. College, I started studying political history of Pakistan and started learning about social and political realities of Pakistan. I came aware of the battle between people and establishment. I analyzed Afghan war and Kashmir issue from multitude of perspectives. I learnt about the political struggles for Independence, against Ayub Khan and against Zia Ul Haq. With this reading came a change in my political views. I realized the power of clichés that controls public perception specially in educated urban classes. And I realized the difference of right and wrong in Pakistan’s political divide. I understood how bothered establishment is by the politicization of masses and how desperate it is to depoliticize Pakistan and thus have any powers that people have got back. My sincere hope was that Khan sahib’s joining of politics will contribute to the strengthening of people against establishment.

In those early days of Tehrik-e-Insaaf, I met a guy, who was TI’s first information secretary. I found out that he was son of Ahmad Raza Qasuri. That was my first turn off. How could the demigod accept the grandson of the person who got knighthood for sanctioning the hanging of Shaheed Bhagat Singh and son of the man who was part of judicial murder of first elected Prime Minister of Pakistan at the hand of a tyrant? I thought demigod has been exploited and has made an error. Then he started talking about corruption in the political system and I must confess at that time I believed he is talking about “the issue”.

Then came the second jolt. All his talk of corruption was aimed at Benazir Bhutto and he hardly mentioned the corruption of Leaguers, who were trend setters of political corruption in Pakistan through horse trading, bestowing perks and privileges on cronies and journalists, evading taxes, writing-off loans and introducing drug, land and arms mafias to Pakistani society. Neither was he grilling the corruption of Govt. Officials, Armed Services or judiciary. It seemed as if he was there for a purpose.

As the events unfolded, I have no doubt that the purpose was two-fold. First, to tarnish the image of Benazir Bhutto, for none of her opponents back then were in position of credibility to malign her image. Just imagine Shujat Hussain calling someone corrupt or Nawaz Sharif charging someone with nepotism back in 1995-96. People would have laughed there heads off. Second purpose was to mudsling the democratic process. And since then he has been the second most vocal force in destroying peoples’ faith in politics after Qazi Hussain Ahmad. He supported General Musharaf and called him the savior and survivor. Supported him in times when he was most vulnerable and it was his support (and his credibility with people) that was one of the reasons for no uprising against Musharaf in the early days. He always demanded keeping popular leadership out of political process. This was his demand not only for 2002 elections but also for 1997 elections. And then when in 2002 elections from Islamabad his lowness Ahmad Raza Kasuri was his candidate, it was moment of truth for me. I became sure then that there is more to it than what meets the eye.

He was the force behind pushing Nawaz Sharif to break ARD (not that Nawaz can be freed from the blame) and announce a return and go to Supreme Court for relief. And I still believe that had it not been for that SC judgment in Nawaz Sharif case and Government’s open defiance of it and the bursting of the bubble of Judicial Authority, we would have avoided November 3. And he was one of the central figures in facilitating the government to defy that judgment. Delivering the judgment SC had done its part. Now it was all for Mr. Sharif and his allies to show their strength on his arrival and make government bow further. And Imran and Maulanas ditched SC and Nawaz Sharif there, helping Musharaf. We all remember him boasting in London of being with Mian Sahab on his return and we all know he quietly slipped to Dubai on the day of action.

And now again, with his boycott ploy, he wants to make sure that Musharaf gets a cakewalk to 2/3^rd in parliament without any fuss of rigging. Not only that but with his anti-boycott campaign (along with the best known helping hand of forces of oppression in this country Qazi Hussain Ahmad), he is persuading the anti-Musharaf vote not to go to polling stations on January 8^th, helping Q League and Musharaf.

In recent days, both Rauf Kalasra and Abbas Ather have questioned his wisdom, though not his intentions. People still regard him for his heroics in a country devoid of handful of idols. So did I till now. But to me so much is at stake that I have to speak up. Mr. Khan, your record points to you being a helping hand of forces of oppression and destruction in this country. It is about time, you disprove it through your action, or be prepared to be answerable to history. And for people, call spade a spade, realize who is doing what. We need heroes but not the ones who exploit this status. Go to polling booths on January 8^th, it is our last hope of checking the march of forces of oppression. If you would not, Q-Leaguers will storm in and Czar will be strengthened.