Years ago when Imran Khan decided to join the political fray in Pakistan, he acted and sounded like a novice. More like a starry eyed teenager eager to please everyone than a seasoned cynical politico who knows the nuances of the game. Almost two decades later now, he has barely changed. But the political contours of Pakistan have. And that is why, just days before the historic general elections in Pakistan, Imran Khan has turned relevant, and uncomfortably so.
While the jury is still out whether Imran Khan and his PTI will manage to win the election or at least do well, what is certain that he will not remain at the sidelines as he was in the previous polls. In a nation where frenzies are whipped as easily as it can be, Imran Khan indeed expanded his base after years of dedication. The so called Imran Khan Tsunami that people are talking these days started with barely registered ripples in Pakistan’s otherwise volatile political water.
So, what has made Imran Khan so relevant? The answer is, changing times and demography. Asif Ali Zardari’s PPP indeed became part of the history by becoming the only elected government in Pakistan to complete its term. However, apart from that, it has pretty little to show or talk about. Its five years tenure has been marred by an economic freefall, spate of bombings and suicide attacks, energy crisis and more. Meanwhile, a whole new lot of youngsters have blotted the electoral rolls. This new, urbane and upwardly mobile, group has decidedly different aspiration from its preceding generations. But like most of the other places in the world, this generation is also dangerously apolitical, and proud about it. For such a generation, Imran Khan came as an obvious choice.
A man with the supposed magic-wand. A man who dwells on the surface of a problem and refuse to probe deeper. A man who gives simple (or rather simpleton) solutions to complex problems. In short, suitably suited for this generation.
For example, while he is a vociferous opponent of Drone attacks in Pakistan, he is clueless about what alternative options can Pakistan choose to replace this. Or, while he is a great advocate of dialogue with Taliban, he fails to mention how previous attempts to engage them in dialogue have only given them time to regroup and strengthen their position. Every uneasy answer is buried. No surprise that he caught the fancy of this generation.
But that is not to say that Imran Khan is merely a construct of circumstances. To insinuate that would be callous. If Imran Khan has made himself relevant in the ethnicity ridden South Asian politics, it says a lot about the man’s character.
“As such, Khan is a departure from leaders who hail from political dynasties, such as the Bhuttos or the Sharifs, and boast immense rural landholdings. Since the PTI boycotted the 2008 general elections and has no representation in parliament, the party's record is also clean. Khan is thus better positioned than the PML-N to denounce the corrupt practices of "Mr. Ten Percent," as Pakistan's President and co-chairman of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Asif Ali Zardari is widely known,” says noted Pakistani political commentator, Huma Yusuf.
Your correspondent had a chance to see his impact in Karachi, a city that epitomises ethnic fissures in Pakistan. In a city where voters have traditionally voted either for MQM, ANP or PPP depending on whether they are ethnic Urdu speakers, Pashtuns or Sindhi, and where voting away from the ethnic line is considered even worse than betrayal, Imran Khan has attracted votes across ethnicity. Although he is still expected to bag more of Pashtun votes than those of Mohajirs, it is no surprise that he has made a mentionable dent in both ANP as well as MQM’s vote.
It is because the issues he raises are of national and international importance and affect average Pakistanis in more ways than one. Take for example his opposition to America’s involvement in Pakistan in particular and the region in general.
“Anti-American rhetoric is common among Islamist hard-liners and religious party leaders, but Khan’s urbane appeal as a former cricketer who won international acclaim means he can reach a wider, less religious audience and position himself as the acceptable face of anti-Americanism,” says Badar Alam, editor of Pakistan’s Herald Magazine. “When mullahs talk, people don't stop to listen. "But when a Western educated clean-shaven man does the same, it does suit them.”
Also, compared to both Zardari and Nawaz Sharif, Imran Khan can actually brag his selflessness. For example when Parvez Musharraf asked him to become the Prime Minister of Pakistan, he promptly refused. It was a rare gesture in a region where seasoned statesmen have been known to become Prime Minister for as less as 13 days even when it was clear to them that they will not be able to gather the requisite numbers to survive.
While the jury is still out whether Imran Khan and his PTI will manage to win the election or at least do well, what is certain that he will not remain at the sidelines as he was in the previous polls. In a nation where frenzies are whipped as easily as it can be, Imran Khan indeed expanded his base after years of dedication. The so called Imran Khan Tsunami that people are talking these days started with barely registered ripples in Pakistan’s otherwise volatile political water.
So, what has made Imran Khan so relevant? The answer is, changing times and demography. Asif Ali Zardari’s PPP indeed became part of the history by becoming the only elected government in Pakistan to complete its term. However, apart from that, it has pretty little to show or talk about. Its five years tenure has been marred by an economic freefall, spate of bombings and suicide attacks, energy crisis and more. Meanwhile, a whole new lot of youngsters have blotted the electoral rolls. This new, urbane and upwardly mobile, group has decidedly different aspiration from its preceding generations. But like most of the other places in the world, this generation is also dangerously apolitical, and proud about it. For such a generation, Imran Khan came as an obvious choice.
A man with the supposed magic-wand. A man who dwells on the surface of a problem and refuse to probe deeper. A man who gives simple (or rather simpleton) solutions to complex problems. In short, suitably suited for this generation.
For example, while he is a vociferous opponent of Drone attacks in Pakistan, he is clueless about what alternative options can Pakistan choose to replace this. Or, while he is a great advocate of dialogue with Taliban, he fails to mention how previous attempts to engage them in dialogue have only given them time to regroup and strengthen their position. Every uneasy answer is buried. No surprise that he caught the fancy of this generation.
But that is not to say that Imran Khan is merely a construct of circumstances. To insinuate that would be callous. If Imran Khan has made himself relevant in the ethnicity ridden South Asian politics, it says a lot about the man’s character.
“As such, Khan is a departure from leaders who hail from political dynasties, such as the Bhuttos or the Sharifs, and boast immense rural landholdings. Since the PTI boycotted the 2008 general elections and has no representation in parliament, the party's record is also clean. Khan is thus better positioned than the PML-N to denounce the corrupt practices of "Mr. Ten Percent," as Pakistan's President and co-chairman of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Asif Ali Zardari is widely known,” says noted Pakistani political commentator, Huma Yusuf.
Your correspondent had a chance to see his impact in Karachi, a city that epitomises ethnic fissures in Pakistan. In a city where voters have traditionally voted either for MQM, ANP or PPP depending on whether they are ethnic Urdu speakers, Pashtuns or Sindhi, and where voting away from the ethnic line is considered even worse than betrayal, Imran Khan has attracted votes across ethnicity. Although he is still expected to bag more of Pashtun votes than those of Mohajirs, it is no surprise that he has made a mentionable dent in both ANP as well as MQM’s vote.
It is because the issues he raises are of national and international importance and affect average Pakistanis in more ways than one. Take for example his opposition to America’s involvement in Pakistan in particular and the region in general.
“Anti-American rhetoric is common among Islamist hard-liners and religious party leaders, but Khan’s urbane appeal as a former cricketer who won international acclaim means he can reach a wider, less religious audience and position himself as the acceptable face of anti-Americanism,” says Badar Alam, editor of Pakistan’s Herald Magazine. “When mullahs talk, people don't stop to listen. "But when a Western educated clean-shaven man does the same, it does suit them.”
Also, compared to both Zardari and Nawaz Sharif, Imran Khan can actually brag his selflessness. For example when Parvez Musharraf asked him to become the Prime Minister of Pakistan, he promptly refused. It was a rare gesture in a region where seasoned statesmen have been known to become Prime Minister for as less as 13 days even when it was clear to them that they will not be able to gather the requisite numbers to survive.
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