ISLAMABAD: Meet Adnan Randhawa. You probably don’t know who he is. Just like a few months ago, you didn’t know who Arvind Kejriwal was – the doyen of India’s Aam Admi Party (AAP).
Randhawa is a 34-year-old former deputy information secretary of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) and former high-achieving bureaucrat who is all set to launch his own local version of the AAP – a party which burst onto the Indian political scene by sweeping to power in Delhi just a few months ago.
Far from a household name, yet possessed by an indomitable household vision, Randhawa resigned from his post as deputy information secretary of the PTI in March after becoming disillusioned with the party over what he termed continued violations of party laws by its leadership.
This is not the first time the unassuming and soft-spoken young man from Burewala has resigned from a post in protest. Like Kejriwal, Randhawa too was once a bureaucrat. He quit the Foreign Services of Pakistan in protest against the release of CIA operator Raymond Davis while he was posted in China, and joined the PTI in 2011.
In fact, he has been a serial resigner-protester of sorts – which is perhaps the only thing mildly extraordinary about him. Having protested the unconstitutional formation of the party’s Core Committee and vociferously opposed the dissolution of PTI’s elected party set-up in Balochistan by Jehangir Tareen (who he termed an unconstitutional secretary-general of the party), Randhawa now has a new project. Randhawa says his disillusionment began when the PTI started to recruit and propel “old faces of the old order” despite promising new results and fresh faces.
Randhawa now says that he has closely studied the AAP of India, and wants to model his party around it – though stressing that his party AAPP has no connection to AAP. But Randhawa will have his work cut out. Without a political background and hailing from the middle class, he will be an outsider in Pakistan’s politics – a nonentity.
Unfazed, a boisterous Randhawa insists that the “moral appeal” of his party will be enough. Optimistic, Randhawa is upbeat about his party’s prospects and points to a trend towards fighting the status quo in the region. He doesn’t have the money to back a powerful campaign but insists that it really doesn’t cost much to run a party. “Jazba hai toh paisa nahi chahiyay,” he says. “It costs Rs3,000 for a demonstration if you really want it,” he adds, without batting an eyelash. He feels the concept (and the name) of the Aam Admi party and what it stands for should be enough. What is to be seen is whether this former bureaucrat can weave the Kejriwal magic in the hotly contested environs of political Islamabad. Source
Interesting. Let us see if his AAP can attract aam aadmi of the country.
By the way, if this experience fails and AAP remains registered with the ECP, the next available name could be Mango People Party.
PTI is pretty much part of status quo. There are two ways to analyze it. One, PTI never intended to change anything. Two, to change this system you need to be a part of it and make gradual improvements.
Anyways, before we can begin to think political reforms through political parties, we need to concentrate efforts on education. There is no way we can get out of the clutches of Mian sab, chaudhry sab, sheikh sab, medha sohna saeen, maulana sab and khan sab unless people are aware of their rights and responsibilities.
Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan is revered in the country, but even he flopped miserably. Whether we like it or not, but people have faith in the electoral system in the country, however flawed it maybe.
PTI's glass is half full or half empty, the scene is open to individual analyses. But the fact is that a cricketer, with a non-traditional political background, has been able to make space for his party in an unprecedented manner. PTI is making its way through a terrible quicksand of traditional politics. It should be given time to penetrate the system and then change it from within. The daydream of a soft or hard revolution in Pakistan may not come true anytime soon. To terminate the system, one needs to be within the system like Imran, and not outside like Dr Tahirul Qadri.
To cure democracy is to have more democracy and in a successful democracy, change always comes from within.
Imran had spent considerable time being a loud and proud outsider, and really, no one can accuse him for not trying enough to dislodge the system despite not being part of it. He tried and he tried tirelessly. Now PTI is part of the system, I hope by the end of their tenure, they do fulfill their promise of bringing visible democratic changes in their province.
The word revolution has become such a cliché, but very few users of the lofty word (perhaps including Imran too) realize that in order to bring true revolution, blood needs to spilled and sht has to be stirred and Pakistan cannot afford this at this stage in time. I believe in movements not revolution. To me, all revolutions end in violence, civil strife, factionalism and counter revolution. A revolution by one part of a nation but opposed by other parts is one form a civil war can take, so the point is, PTI should stick to reforming the system from within instead of planning a complete over throw.
No amount of new parties is going to change one bit of the current conditions if the masses of the country remain uneducated, brainwashed, hostile and dheet.
Uneducated ... to an extent that a sizable chunk of population do not have basic literary skills
Brainwashed ... into thinking that all problems country is facing are due to India and America
Hostile ... to an extent that they are willing to kill each other for minor political and religious differences
Dheet ... committing crimes and atrocities in public without any shame or remorse
A good first step would be to pay maximum attention to our education system so people have atleast some sense of making educated and conscious decisions. One can have the very best of leaders, but if people dont hold them accountable, they are bound to become corrupt. Alas, our nation continues to keep trying the "tested and failed" people i.e. bhuttos and sharifs
It's sad but it is part of political process. Unless it's MQM.
No, it is not part of political process, but it is part of normal corrupt political parties and unfortunately PTI is turning into yet another of normal political parties, the change is disappearing fast.
Where did I suggest "corruption by PTI"? Please read again :)
You did not mention corruption in PTI. That's right. But then where would you place PTI? In PPP's bracket or in the Noon camp? Is PTI an MQM or it is an ANP? Is it a JI or JUI? Is it a TTP or it simply does not exist?
I understand that despite all disappointments, PTI still retains its niche. Remember how people used to castigate the party when politicians were joining it en masse? And they still deplore it when people leave the party. So where exactly these critics stand and what PTI could do on earth to make everyone happy? Be it you, me or Adnan Randhawa.
You did not mention corruption in PTI. That's right. But then where would you place PTI? In PPP's bracket or in the Noon camp? Is PTI an MQM or it is an ANP? Is it a JI or JUI? Is it a TTP or it simply does not exist?
PTI is following in steps of other parties, if it doesn't stop itself from falling in same line then soon you will see problems which are seen in other parties, its not there yet but will reach same destination if it doesn't address the problems.
Not saying he is dishonest or doubting his intentions but you can mark this post that **"One day he will be accused of same behaviour he is accusing PTI of".
**Imran Khan despite of all his honesty, dedication, good intentions and patriotism is finding it extremely hard to make revolutionary changes. 99% Pakistanis will find it equally difficult to bring those much needed revolutionary changes. Imran Khan needs to be given full 5 years, his performance then needs to be assessed and then we should come to some sort of conclusion.
I agree with you wholeheartedly that PTI must not follow in steps of other parties as it has been accorded almost no margin of errors. We certainly do not accept PTI to look like PPP or PML-N. And it is also fair enough to predict that it will earn the same fate as others did.
But fortunately, PTI is not doing as bad as it may appear. The party kicked out QWP from the coalition on charges of corruption. And Imran Khan recently gave a stern warning to its party to mend its way. I may be misinformed, but I did not see any such development taking place in any government currently operating in the country. Lastly, PTI’s overall experience in governance is around 9 months in total, against PML-N and PPP who have been in power infinite number of times. But as I mentioned earlier that since the party has not been given any margin of errors for unknown reasons, so let’s not count it as an excuse.
Allow me to repeat myself that it is a fit case of varying perceptions when it comes to see if the PTI’s glass is half full or half empty. As I see it, it’s half full, but the glass definitely has more space to be filled.
