Playing with no rules

Consider, with your senses fully awake, the great irony of Imran Khan celebrating the enthronement of Parvaiz Elahi as the chief minister of Punjab. We witnessed this political spectacle on Wednesday. And the large following that the charisma of the former prime minister has harvested in this troubled land was visibly in high spirits.

But what does this really mean, in the context of the politics of a leader whose disciples consider him as God’s great gift to Pakistan. Obviously, they – the followers – do so unconsciously. That’s why my invitation to think could be restricted to a minority that has not forsaken its sense of judgment.

I know it is not easy to preserve one’s mental balance in this highly charged and emotionally disturbing society where every sector of life is in tatters. We have history’s evidence to show how dark forces of populism and even fascism can rise in such situations – and I am aware of an observer’s reference to the Germany of the thirties.

Unfortunately, we have little use for history or its lessons. In fact, we seem to have banished this discipline from the Land of the Pure. Incidentally, this is particularly the time that certifies our uneasy relationship with events and impulses that have led us to our present state of affairs. The month of August begins tomorrow and we will be inclined to find refuge in our patriotism. This is something else that we can do unconsciously.

Anyhow, let me return to the dominant political parable of Pakistan: Imran Khan and Parvaiz Elahi standing together, becoming partners in power. We are told that politics makes strange bedfellows, and the examples abound. Yet every such example has its immoral and villainous features. So, what we have here deserves some interpretation and analysis.

Fortunately, we have a ready point of reference: the celebratory speech made by Imran Khan, the gist of which was that he would be willing to talk to the Taliban or to separatists but not to ‘thieves’. You are supposed to be sure about who he was referring to as ‘thieves’ and it would be “the most unkindest cut of all” to suggest that Parvaiz Elahi himself had graduated from that school of ‘thieves’. To be honest, Parvaiz Elahi’s credentials are more impressive, in a manner of saying, than the certificates earned by those politicians who have never betrayed their parties.

Yes, politics is a game in which players may have legitimate reasons for changing parties or principles. That they do so almost invariably for expedient reasons is something else. What would you say about the present affiliations of the likes of Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Sheikh Rashid, Fawad Chaudhry, Pervez Khattak, Babar Awan and so many more? Well, they are all with a leader who vociferously rebukes ‘lotas’ and defectors who, proverbially, are willing to sell their soul to the devil.

There is a certain background to Imran Khan’s relationship with Parvaiz Elahi. We are all familiar with the endless availability of Imran Khan’s old video clips that endorse retractions of what he had said earlier. That is how he is the champion (kaptaan?) of U-turns among politicians anywh ere. Many of these clips have become so trite that his critics should now put them out of circulation, including the one about ‘Punjab’s biggest daku’. He said it such a long time ago. It is the same about what he had said about Sheikh Rashid.

Instead, I would like to refer to a comment made very, very recently – and not by Imran Khan but by Parvaiz Elahi. In a television talk show on Hum News, the present buddy of the PTI’s highly revered leader had spoken words in the middle of March this year, when the vote of no confidence was in the works, that can hardly be forgiven. The conversation was dragged rather low, about someone changing someone else’s nappies.

Now, someone’s desire (to use a milder word) for power has sought to erase a hurtful slight. But what does this say about Imran Khan who, as his followers perceive his stature and station, never steps down from his high pedestal that rests up in the clouds?

Actually, that is where a cult leader resides, and he can do no wrong in the eyes of his devotees. There’s a lot that we know about the rise and rise and occasionally the fall of charismatic leaders in countries of low political culture. There was a time when Imran Khan’s charisma held promise and hope. But, not having been nurtured in a political milieu, he is now playing a very ambivalent role. Against the backdrop of a fractured and polarized society, his politics tends to undermine the very survival of democracy in this country.

We can expect Imran Khan’s political adversaries and his critics to try to demolish his image. But it is more necessary for his supporters and his backers to seriously take stock of the quality and direction of his leadership. For instance, I cannot imagine a sincere, educated and enlightened person to eschew political dialogue and have a soft corner for the Taliban. After all, he consciously called Osama bin Laden a martyr.

One worrying thought is that Imran Khan does not play by any rules, which is outrageous for a person whose career was launched as a cricketing hero. He makes and breaks the rules as it suits him. This attitude may have deeper roots in his psyche and not be just a ploy for the sake of expediency. Apparently, he has not been able to build lasting human relationships, with family, friends or specific values. He often talks about his struggle of more than two decades. But where are his old companions who helped him rise to power?

To conclude, let me quote a few words from a Dawn editorial on how Imran Khan has equated the Taliban with political leaders: “Finally, Mr Khan’s stance makes it depressingly clear that personal animus, reinforced by obduracy, remains the driving force behind his politics”.

The writer is a senior journalist. He can be reached at: ghazi_salahuddin@hotmail.com