My motivation to write this article stems from the contents of the column by Imran Khan published in The Guardian on 2nd May. As a political analyst and writer, I consider it my moral and professional obligation to set the record straight by unraveling the real facts in regards to the points raised by him in that write-up. It is a lengthy discourse, but I would restrict myself to dilating on the major issues raised by him.
It is earnestly felt that he has not been honest in claiming that his government was removed through an engineered no-confidence motion and a government was cobbled by the establishment. The reality is that he himself wrote his downfall by indulging in politics of vendetta against his political opponents and instituting false cases of corruption against them. No wonder that in the end all the political leaders were acquitted by the courts. The judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts while hearing those cases on several occasions remarked that the government was using NAB for political engineering. That made the opposition parties to form an alliance against his government and finally bring the no-confidence motion against him. The motion succeeded because the establishment which had brought him into power had already decided to remain apolitical in February 2021.
His contention that the people voted overwhelmingly for his party candidates but the establishment manipulated results to bring the losers in power, belies logic. The split mandate in which for the first time the PTI won so many National Assembly seats and almost swept the election in KPK provides a ranting testimony to the fact that the establishment did not play any role in the election. Had it been so like the 2018 elections when Imran was brought into power then PTI would not have gained the success that it did achieve in 2024 elections. His denial regarding involvement of his party and its workers in attacks on military installations----which according to statements of PTI leaders who left in the backdrop of that tragic enactment that none other than Imran himself was the mastermind behind them--- amply prove falsehood of his claim in this regard. People saw it live on their TV screens PTI leaders and workers ransacking the Corp Commander house in Lahore, GHQ and monuments of the martyrs. Audio leaks of PTI leaders congratulating each other for successfully achieving their objective and waving of the uniform of Corp Commander hoisted on a stick by nephew of Imran Khan with a victory sign are irrefutable evidences of the involvement of PTI in those dastardly actions. The arrest of PTI workers and leaders involved in the 9th May incidents and their trial cannot be termed as persecution and attempt to decimate the party. No state in the world would condone any such terrorist act against it. What happened to the attackers of the capitol Hill in USA and violent protestors in France makes it abundantly clear that there is a zero tolerance for anything that constitutes challenging the writ of the state.
The allegation that Chief justice of Supreme Court and Islamabad High court have failed to provide unbiased justice is a typical ploy of PTI to malign and denigrate state institutions and their heads. The reality is that the Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court has provided relief to the party in many cases in spite of the fact that PTI had been expressing no-confidence in him. Similarly the SC benches headed by Chief Justice Qazi have also acted strictly according to the constitution and law. The cases in point are not allowing PTI to contest elections as a party by ECP and denial of symbol of ‘bat’ to the party. The fact is that PTI failed to fulfill relevant constitutional and legal provisions in this regard.
Equally unreal is the claim that the establishment has earned unprecedented flak from the public for what it has been doing. Again, the fact of the matter is that this propaganda has only been done by the social media wizards of the PTI who according to a set plan have been and continue to build false narratives targeting the establishment. The assertion that the state stands isolated and was pursuing the same path that it did in 1971 is probably the most preposterous suggestion. Contrary to this assumption the country seems poised to regain its strength and further cementing ties with its friends who are generously coming forth to help Pakistan in orchestrating economic revival. The pledges made by China and investments promised by Saudi Arabia and Gulf states bear testimony to the fact that Pakistan is not alone and its friends were more than willing to partner in revival of the economy. IMF has also released the last installment of the previous ninth month loan facility and it likely to negotiate yet another bailout package to Pakistan. The international loaning and rating agencies have also endorsed the positive vibes from the economic front. The inflation has also dipped many points to corroborate the success of the policies being pursued by the incumbent government.
In view of the foregoing irrefutable realities I wish that Imran who enjoys considerable support among the people, though for all the wrong reasons, should have shown the grace to speak the truth and refrained from politics of false narratives and maligning the state and its institutions. He needs serious rethinking and act like a politician wedded to promoting national and state interests. By incessantly trying to denigrate the state and its institutions he is not doing any good either to the country or himself and his party.
Malik Muhammad Ashraf
The writer is a freelance columnist. He can be reached at ashpak10@gmail.com