Is this all that is required to implement a sound action plan to bring the required change? Perhaps no! The progress of Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) is admirable, while Makhdoom Javed Hashmi’s, who has a 43-year-old experience of principle-based politics and who can stand by the party’s cause in times of crisis, joining is a big boost. It also fills up a big gap of a self-motivated person in the party after Imran Khan. Indeed, an important quality of leadership is that a farsighted leader always transfers leadership skills in his team. More so, the Karachi jalsa once again refreshed the zeal and enthusiasm in the people.
Imran deserves applause for sticking to his cause for so many years; despite a series of accomplishments, he has shown the same level of modesty with which he started his journey. Currently, the political scenario seems to be changing favourably for the party to fulfil its promise of ‘change’ and ‘betterment’. A large number of people are joining it with high expectations of gains – but some for personal gains and others for the country. While the party needs a large number of candidates for their nominations all over Pakistan, it also needs the people, who can share the vision of their leader. However, there appears to be a big gap between Imran’s vision and that of his party members. Although it is admirable to bring comparatively honest and credible people on one forum - and certainly, these virtues in a leadership can achieve milestones for Pakistan, where corruption is rampant – yet, the achievements that he speaks about seem to not only require honesty and credibility, but also a vision that, so far, is not apparent in PTI other than the Kaptaan!
Vision in one’s mind is like the knowledge in a single chest. The world has had a number of thinkers, scholars and visionaries, but not all had the opportunity to transfer their ideas to the next generations and have them materialised. For the spread of knowledge, it has to be shared; similarly, to transform a vision into reality, it has to be delegated. Iqbal shared his vision of a separate Muslim State, which was materialised by Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in 1947. Imran’s speaking about his dreams in his speeches and then giving revolutionary roadmaps for their achievement, reflects that he has thought much about the future of Pakistan and aims at achieving these dreams through ways that the nation has never seen before in its history: A complete restructuring of thana system, justice at the village level, no more foreign debts, benefits to the poor and needy are the reforms, which have never taken place in Pakistan before. Surely, this is the vision that suits well suits a country, like Pakistan, which has the capacity and resource to be independent from foreign dependence and deal with the non-democratic forces, who are against the spirit of progress and evolution.
At this moment, however, Imran needs to take his team into his own vision, so that it becomes safer and better executable. In the journey, so far, the executing capacity of plans has been enhanced, but no measure for their protection has been taken. A leader’s charisma is not only to bring the people on one forum, but also ensure that the team mates share a common vision. Such sharing of vision will not only enable the team members to make a better representation of the party’s viewpoints, but also make it more viable to implement its plans. Beams of hope rarely visit the suppressed nations!
The writer is a practicing lawyer based in Lahore.
Email: ranarizwanhussain@gmail.com