It appears that the masses are now disappointed/disillusioned with the shifty and self-centered version of politics, being practiced by Imran Khan, leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), resulting in declining street as well as its decay.
The real purpose of struggle is probably seeking concessions for the jailed party leader, who is doing every possible bit to worsen his relations with the Establishment and thrive on foreign support.
The inefficient and erratic governance and dilapidating security situation in PTI-led province Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) is exacerbating the mass perception grossly. The baseless rhetoric of Chief Minister Ali Amin Gundapur is being taken as a misstep by party leader regarding Gundapur’s selection. PTI leader’s stubborn and self-conceited stance has resulted in party’s strained relations with the other political segments, establishment and military. In a time of economic frugality, all efforts should have ideally been focused on revival of economic, for which political stability remains to be a cornerstone.
However, PTI’s leadership seems to be incognizant of this fact. It is for these reasons that masses have started to give a muted and indifferent response to protest and agitation calls emanating from the PTI side. The objective analysts also opine that PTI’s leadership currently lacks the charm to galvanize the masses around its standpoint. In a timeframe when, economic situation is extremely unfavorable, one should expect people to be more restless. However, lack of charm in PTI’s leadership has resulted in a lukewarm response from the public to their calls of agitation.
Another nuanced view is that the public’s indifference to PTI’s cries, may be due to the fact that people are gradually losing faith in Imran Khan and his party. Many have awakened to the reality that he is a person, who does not tell the truth and whose words are mere rhetoric. Initially, Khan’s theatrics over the US Cipher Issue, his crafty use of social media, and use of greasy appeals, especially to a certain group of over 50 women, received a lot of support/ public attention. However, when compared to political alternatives like PML-N (Nawaz League) and PPP (Pakistan People’s Party), many have now leant that PTI with Khan, has no solutions or ways to solve Pakistan’s problems. This disappointment is further compounded by PTI’s anti-Army narrative, which has made a large part of the population uneasy and uncomfortable with PTI. Understanding this, the latest move by Imran Khan seems to be to court the Army leadership to make himself look more acceptable to the Pakistanis.
However, this move is not well received, as the constant illegal benefits delivered by judges and the direct encouragement from the Western media and the international community are gradually undermining his purity. He is now very well identified by military and the masses as someone who does not care for Pakistan and its people and only remains focused about own perks and privileges. The status quo is therefore, not in favor of Imran Khan and his external allies. The local proxies like the Khawarij, PTM, BYC and others are growing more active, while adding more pressure to the situation. The victimology card and sympathetic inclination have both expired a long time ago. Now people are more worried about inflation, economic factors, unemployment, and increasing power tariffs. People are tired of the constant volatility and are in desperate need of a break, where they can find a stable income for their households.
The cycles of lying and false promises have come under the spotlight, putting PTI and its leadership in the negative spotlight. The public is tired of hearing lofty slogans and now wishes to see some action being done to implement those. Many have realized that Imran Khan and his allies are more interested in self-serving, like getting bails for detained political personalities, than in solving the problems of Pakistan. Professional lobbyists are now seen working for Imran Khan, both at the national and international level. This manipulation is also an eye sour to a common man.
The disappointment of the public with PTI is not only due to unfulfilled expectations. The party’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) has been examined and accused of not providing proper strategies for addressing the issues of the area. This regional performance further strengthens the notion that PTI is incompetent to deliver on a national level. The electorate is far from being gullible and is unlikely to be sold a dream but is more likely to want to see the dream come to fruition. PTI’s anti-Army approach has lost the support of a major chunk of the population that looks at the military, as a positive force in Pakistan.
The narrative of conflict with the Army has not only harmed the PTI’s relationship with a key institution but also made citizens anxious about more instability. In this context, Khan’s recent attempts to reconcile with the military leadership only appear as desperate and opportunist moves, further damaging his credibility. The support of judiciary and international establishment for Imran Khan, cannot be ignored at all. Legal immunity and support from the Western Media and Zionist and Capitalist icons from USA and UK have created an image of a leader with external support instead of internal support. This perception is counterproductive to Khan’s image as the protector of Pakistan’s independence and its ability to be an economy on its own, thus, losing support from nationalist factions.
The dictates of current political climate indicate that PTI’s reduced ability to mobilize people is symptomatic of a larger problem. The people are no longer willing to be sold dreams; they want to be sold solutions to their economic problems and order. Imran Khan and PTI are at the crossroads. To regain the public trust, they need to move from words to action and show genuine intent to solve the country’s problems. They can only hope to re-energize their base and regain the lost ground in the political landscape of Pakistan, if they are able to close the gap between the promises and the delivery. The road is rough from here on, but with sincere endeavors and clean politics, there is hope for redemption.
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