The road ahead

Although the public still loves the charismatic personality of PM Imran Khan, it is also very important to determine to what extent the PTI succeeded in fulfilling the hopes of people after coming into power. There is no doubt on the commitment of the prime minister for overcoming the economic crisis and transforming Pakistan into a corruption-free land. At the same time, the one year performance of the government is raising many questions.

In my view, people voted for change and it is their right to see positive change in society. For a common Pakistani citizen, life is becoming more difficult day by day due to heavy taxes and inflation. Similarly, continuous reports regarding the Punjab Police are giving a bad name to the PTI government. After the Sahiwal tragedy, the prime minister himself had promised that he would take action against the culprits, but nothing happened.

The failure in changing the police torture culture further reflects the helplessness of the present government in the eyes of the general public. People are interested to know that if the provincial government of the PTI in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa can engage IG Nasir Durrani for police reforms so brilliantly then what are the hurdles to bringing police reforms in Punjab and at the federal level?

I had shared my concerns with Prime Minister Imran Khan after his US visit, and said that we should adopt a careful approach. After a few days, the Indian aggression in Kashmir, more than one month of curfew in occupied valley, and silence from international community on Kashmir issue proved my stance. Despite standing half an hour in solidarity with Kashmir, what else we have done practically to reduce the sufferings of the Kashmiri people?

The great ancient philosopher Chanakya had advised thousands of years ago that before taking a decision think a hundred times but once decided then struggle for its implementation. The presidential ordinance to waive a hefty sum in loans, and then its withdrawal due to media pressure also left many PTI sympathizers wondering. No doubt, all such unwanted incidents are linked with past governments’ policies. We must admit that Imran Khan’s government can’t correct everything just in one year but why has it not determined the right direction to achieve desired goals?

Prime Minister Imran Khan is still honoured on a national and international level. Specially, the overseas Pakistani community is committed to supporting the PTI. However, it seems the prime minister is surrounded by some elements who are interested in their own interests.

Today, people still supporting the Imran Khan led PTI despite all the difficulties, but – being a well wisher of PM Imran Khan and a sincere PTI worker – I would like to state that people are about to lose patience because of inflation, price hikes and police brutalities. Similarly, patriotic non-Muslim communities in spite of their huge sacrifices are continuously ignored.

Prime Minister Imran Khan should ensure that the right person is appointed at the right place. Rather than favouring a few personal friends, the focus should be on devising wise policies and right decisions. Internal differences in the PTI’s federal cabinet must be tackled. Positive criticism from sincere party members should be taken seriously.

People still feel proud of the charismatic personality of Prime Minister Imran Khan but now it is his turn to meet the expectations of the people without wasting further time.

The writer is a member of the National Assembly and patron-in-chief of the Pakistan Hindu Council.

Twitter: @RVankwani