I hear different evidence about their accomplishments.
So those voters, since one day even pakistanis living abroad may be able to vote one day, can we outline the POSITIVE CONCRETE accomplishments of the party within KPK, the province they actually control?
Apart from the dharnas. As in, imroving the economy, the societal problems, the crime, the judicial system, water, health, if someone can start posing positive things they have been able to do. Tired of hearing all the banter between anti- and pro-PTI posters, I have yet to see an actual list.
I am from KPK but only returned recently to Pakistan so my opinion is based on what I have seen in the last two months.
I think KPK (and Pakistan) has always had two problems: 1. Administrative, 2. Ideological.
Administrative in the sense that regardless of the kind of ideology (secular, theological etc.) we have, we don't have a proper administrative system. There are things which can be done regardless of ideology e.g., better policing, e-governance, providing clean drinking water, better sewage, waste disposal systems etc. I think, from administrative point of view, I have seen a positive change in both Peshawar and Abbottabad (two important cities of KPK). The 'chowks' which were unmanned before, can now be seen manned by traffic police. The streets which were mostly littered before, are now regularly cleaned by sweepers etc. These are small things but, nonetheless, positive. Overall, I would say, on the administrative side, PTI is going in the right direction but very very slowly. It needs to pick up pace. Perhaps, easier said than done.
Ideological in the sense that KPK needs de-radicalization. PTI is not touching the root cause of radicalization i.e. textbooks. We are teaching 'hate' to our kids. I'd love to see that replaced with a curriculum that teaches acceptance of other religions and tolerance and diversity in general. Without these, only administrative steps to improve law and order situation would be like planting and growing poisonous (if it makes sense) trees and then just focusing on efficient tools to cut them once they grow. If we want to get rid of them, we need to stop planting and growing them in the first place. We need to start growing trees that give shade and fruit to others. I think, PTI has failed miserably in this regard. They don't have any plan to tackle this problem. Perhaps, again, easier said than done as their government depends on the support of JI but I think if they were ready to sacrifice their government for the sake of fair elections, this would have been a greater cause to put your government on stake for.
This assessment should start once they have completed 2 years... i guess i would give them another 6-7 months and then see, how they have performed in KPK.
Having said that, KPK is most difficult province and the plus point PTI have, the previous two govts ( Jamat-e-Islami & ANP) have delivered nothing at all.. so if they do any good shall be noticed immediately as stated by Mangoman above.
I am from KPK but only returned recently to Pakistan so my opinion is based on what I have seen in the last two months.
I think KPK (and Pakistan) has always had two problems: 1. Administrative, 2. Ideological.
Administrative in the sense that regardless of the kind of ideology (secular, theological etc.) we have, we don't have a proper administrative system. There are things which can be done regardless of ideology e.g., better policing, e-governance, providing clean drinking water, better sewage, waste disposal systems etc. I think, from administrative point of view, I have seen a positive change in both Peshawar and Abbottabad (two important cities of KPK). The 'chowks' which were unmanned before, can now be seen manned by traffic police. The streets which were mostly littered before, are now regularly cleaned by sweepers etc. These are small things but, nonetheless, positive. Overall, I would say, on the administrative side, PTI is going in the right direction but very very slowly. It needs to pick up pace. Perhaps, easier said than done.
Ideological in the sense that KPK needs de-radicalization. PTI is not touching the root cause of radicalization i.e. textbooks. We are teaching 'hate' to our kids. I'd love to see that replaced with a curriculum that teaches acceptance of other religions and tolerance and diversity in general. Without these, only administrative steps to improve law and order situation would be like planting and growing poisonous (if it makes sense) trees and then just focusing on efficient tools to cut them once they grow. If we want to get rid of them, we need to stop planting and growing them in the first place. We need to start growing trees that give shade and fruit to others. I think, PTI has failed miserably in this regard. They don't have any plan to tackle this problem. Perhaps, again, easier said than done as their government depends on the support of JI but I think if they were ready to sacrifice their government for the sake of fair elections, this would have been a greater cause to put your government on stake for.
Excellent post. Informative and balanced. Can you also comment on if PTI can address ideological war that we should fight in our mosques and madaaris? Text books need to be modified too - however these terrorists are products of hate from mullah culture rampant in KPK also Punjab. I have serious doubt Imran Khan understands the scope of cancer that needs to be cut off.
Hate is mostly being taught at home, not as much through textbooks, unless people have specific pages that they can post up to show as examples.
The adults teach these ideas to the kids. I don't know why, but Pakistanis keep seeking conspiracy theories, anything other than the simple reality that local muslims are joining dangerous hitler-type movements that are being run in the name of "Islam".
Can you also comment on if PTI can address ideological war that we should fight in our mosques and madaaris? Text books need to be modified too - however these terrorists are products of hate from mullah culture rampant in KPK also Punjab. I have serious doubt Imran Khan understands the scope of cancer that needs to be cut off.
I think the above can, again, be broken down into two problems: 1. Recognition of the problem, 2. Capability to solve the problem.
I think PTI is stuck in 1. They don't recognize the problem. That's my opinion. I think Pakistan has two kinds of political parties: a. those that don't recognize this problem, b: those that recognize the problem but don't have a workable solution to it. Rhetoric is no solution in my opinion. In KPK, I put PTI, JI, PML(N), JUI-F in the first category and ANP and PPP in the second. I think if PTI recognizes the problem and Imran starts addressing this issue with the same zeal that he has been pursuing election rigging, cancer hospital etc., he should be able to solve the problem.
I think you are right about text books not being the only source of spreading hate. I think they complement the other sources.
Not sure about the rest of the country, from my schooling and basic religious education in mosques, I got the impression that the whole philosophy of life is ‘Islam ka dunya pe ghalba’. History and Pakistan studies is limited to Ghazwaat, Jangain, musalmaano ke Hinduon aur kaafiron per ehsaanaat aur Kaafiron (especially) hinduon ki musalmaano ke khilaaf tang nazri aur dushmani. I can digest slight biases in favor of the country but we teach pure hate against other religions/nations.
Text No. 1
Class: 4
Subject: Social Studies
Pages: 80-81
“Sikhs destroyed the Muslim towns from the river Sutlej to the river Jamna. A
number of times the Sikhs crossed the river Jamna and looted and destroyed the
settlements of the Muslims. They truned the mosques into their ‘Gurdawaras’,
demolished the shrines of the Muslim saints and burnt religious schools and
libraries.”
Text No. 2
Class: 4
Subject: Social Studies
Pages: 83
“The Muslims of Pakistan provided all the facilities to the Hindus and Sikhs who
left for India. But the Hindus and Sikhs looted the Muslims in India with both
hands and they attacked their caravans, busses and railway trains. Therefore
about 1 million Muslims were martyred on their way to Pakistan.”
Text No. 5
Class: 5
Subject: Social Studies
Pages: 123
22
“India is our traditional enemy and we should always keep ourselves ready to
defend out beloved country from Indian aggression.”
Text No. 6
Class: 6
Subject: Social Studies
Pages: 100
“The foundation of Hindu set up was based on injustice and cruelty”
Text No. 12
Class: 6
Subject: Social Studies
24
Pages: 99
“Before the Arab conquest the people were fed up with the teachings of
Buddhists and Hindus. The main cause was the benign treatment of Muslims
with the Hindus. Due to this attitude Hindus began to love Muslims and they
became nearer and nearer to the Muslims.”
Text No. 13
Class: 6
Subject: Social Studies
Pages: 99
“The Biritish sent rare books from these libraries to England. Thus the British
ruined the Muslim schools. They did not want that Islam should spread.”
Text No. 17
Class: 7
Subject: Social Studies
Pages: 13
“Some Jewish tribes also lived in Arabia. They lent money to workers and
peasants on high rates of interest and usurped their earnings. They held the
whole society in their tight grip because of the ever increasing compound
interest.”
Text No. 18
Class: 7
Subject: Social Studies
Pages: 25
“History has no parallel to the extremely kind treatment of the Christians by the
Muslims. Still the Christian kingdoms of Europe were constantly trying to gain
control of Jerusalem. This was the cause of the crusades.”
Text No. 19
Class: 7
Subject: Social Studies
Pages: 13
“All the Christian countries united against the Muslims and sent large armies to
attack the holy city of Jerusalem. These wars are called crusades because the
Pope, a head of the Christians, called a council of war. In this meeting he
declared that Jesus Christ sanctioned war against Muslims.”
Text No. 21
Class: 7
Subject: Social Studies
Pages: 43
“European nations have been working during the past three centuries, through
conspiracies on naked aggression to subjugate the countries of the Muslim
world.”
Text No. 22
Class: 9-10
Subject: Pakistan Studies
Pages: 3
“The economic system of West was creating unsolvable problems and had failed
to do justice with the people.”
Text No. 23
Class: 9-10
Subject: Pakistan Studies
Pages: 6
“Islamic society was devoid of every kind of evil….”
Text No. 24
27
Class: 9-10
Subject: Pakistan Studies
Pages: 7
“One of the reasons of the downfall of the Muslims in the Sub-continent was the
lack of the spirit of Jihad.”
Text No. 25
Class: 9-10
Subject: Pakistan Studies
Pages: 10
“In Islam Jihad is very important…..The person who offers his life never
dies…..All the prayers nurture one’s passion for Jihad.”
Text No. 26
Class: 9-10
Subject: Pakistan Studies
Pages: 17
“Shah Wali Ullah (RA) was a mujadid of the 18th century….He knew that the
Sikhs, Marhattas were the enemies of Muslims.”
Text No. 28
Class: 9-10
Subject: Pakistan Studies
Pages: 53
“Education sector in East Pakistan was totally under the control of Hindus.
Under the guidance of India they fully poisoned the minds of Bangalis against
Pakistan and aroused their sentiments.”
Text No. 29
Class: 12
Subject: Pakistan Studies
Pages: 4
28
“Great importance is given to Jihad (struggle) in Islam…….And always keep one
self ready to sacrifice one’s life and property is jihad…..The basic purpose of all
submissions and jihad is to keep oneself follower of the good will of Allah
Almighty.”
While some of these might not look like ‘hate speech’, the manner in which they are presented to students by the teachers (who themselves have been brought up believing the whole world has nothing better to do than conspiring against muslims) is very dangerous. Notice that this is only what we teach our kids in ‘social studies’ and ‘pakistan studies’. You can imagine what we’re teaching them in Islamiyat.
I think the above can, again, be broken down into two problems: 1. Recognition of the problem, 2. Capability to solve the problem.
I think PTI is stuck in 1. They don't recognize the problem. That's my opinion. I think Pakistan has two kinds of political parties: a. those that don't recognize this problem, b: those that recognize the problem but don't have a workable solution to it. Rhetoric is no solution in my opinion. In KPK, I put PTI, JI, PML(N), JUI-F in the first category and ANP and PPP in the second. I think if PTI recognizes the problem and Imran starts addressing this issue with the same zeal that he has been pursuing election rigging, cancer hospital etc., he should be able to solve the problem.
Main problem of Pakistan: Corruption
Recognition of problem: recognised by IK
Capability to solve problem: Get rid of corrupt looters, embezzlers
Capability to solve problem: Get rid of corrupt looters, embezzlers
I think corruption is definitely a big problem of Pakistan. It is an administrative problem which is complemented by the lack of emphasis in our texts on raising 'good citizens' as opposed to raising 'islam ke mujahid/sipahi'.