An Open Letter to the Critics of Imran Khan
On August 14,Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) marched towards the parliament, under the leadership of Imran Khan, to protest against the alleged rigging by PML-N in the 2013 general elections.The long march is coined as “Azaadi March” (A March for independence).
While many are an advocate of Imran Khan in assembling this peaceful protest, unfortunately there are also some of you who are opposing the call. I write this with the hope of diffusing some of this bigoted commentary on Imran Khan’s political maneuver.
The first appraisal you very mockingly throw at Imran Khan is that he has achieved nothing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and hence is not worthy of having any faith in. But this take is just accredited to the amnesia that we have towards the March 2014 survey of Gallup which positioned KP as having the highest public satisfaction (57 percent) among fellow provinces of the country. Also does it really need revisiting, how the KP government has depoliticized their police force or how medicines and treatment are being worked to be made free in all hospitals there? And while you are at it, you may also want to Google the fundamental change in education reforms Imran Khan has given birth to in his province.
So just because the metro bus, being worked on by Nawaz Sharif ,is a more detectable development, does not also make it a more cardinal one. In a country where a common man is yet to get more basic necessities of life like health and education, the government is fixated to splurge on discernible developments just to grabble more votes.
Then there are some of you who simply do not support Imran Khan because you find his movement a blatant negation to the democratic process. But what sort of treacherously self-proclaimed democratic governance are we really ranting about? The one that came into power by a rigged electoral process? Or perhaps the one that threatened to use force against the civilians of the long march who are just peacefully protesting? And what genus of democracy does not bring the right to a peaceful protest under it’s jurisdiction?
The audacious fraud in the foregoing election is no news to us and the courts have been futile to hammer away the issue. Those who find Imran Khan’s movement extreme, please also keep in mind, how he has been talking about his very concern for a year now without getting the government officials to act in the way they are required to. The reason for this inadequacy on their part is simple. This government has no answer to appease the accusations rightfully questioning the legitimacy of their power.
Some of you may be chapfallen by Imran’s call for civil disobedience when he himself claims to be this proud proponent of abiding by all laws.Must seem hypocritical right? But what is also duplicitous is how most of you have an issue with Imran Khan merely “talking” about not paying taxes and ignoring bills for just two days but are flagrantly unaffected by how the opposing party, PML-N, has been actively “committing” civil disobedience by evading taxes and indulging in mammoth corruption for over 30 years.
Also it may be worthy to mention that an action is to be judged by the intention.The call was just made to get international attention and divert it to the government in the form of pressure-which WAS accomplished.This civil disobedience is not only impractical for the followers to actually participate in but contrary to what you may believe can not muffle the economy in any which way in just two days.It takes months and years for such a movement to have any actual impact.
And while we are at it, Imran Khan did not lose any support from the masses as propagated by some very biased media channels.If that would have been the case, a profuse amount of educated Pakistanis would not have kept on participating in the protests in this heat and humidity. Neither would the government need to use containers to stop civilians from entering Islamabad to take part in the protest.These protesters are not coming out of their houses merely due to a feeling driven by some blind love for Imran Khan.They are coming out to put an end to the incessant practices of corrupt leaders in our country.
I feel so much pity for those who are disturbed by the turmoil occurring as a byproduct of this beautiful movement. But not because of their discomfort. Just because they fail to recognize that this long march which they so insensitively pin as a nuisance is actually fighting for their rights… for their mandate.
And finally for those worried souls who are petrified of the image of our country being put forward in the world by this long march? I founder to grasp the message you are complaining about for all I see is an alive nation who is finally willing to stand up for themselves and change the system.
Way to go, Imran Khan!
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