Politics as usual: PTI vs. MQM
Imran Khan has turned out to be the biggest disappointment in Pakistani politics. He is playing the same old politics that we expect from PPP and PMLN. “If you can’t perform then create diversion”; style politics has been practising in Pakistan which Khan has also adopted after election. It is apparent that KPK government has completely failed in controlling the law and order situation in the province. Shooting down the drones, stopping NATO supply, corruption less system in 90 days and change in police culture were some promises by Khan, are proving to be not more than election rhetoric. Another hype Khan created in the media two year ago was distribution of party ticket to new faces. Now when election is over, PTI has been surrounded by scandals like fake degree of Ayla Malik which was exposed by another PTI member InamUllah Niazi and conflict between CM of KP and Khan on many issues.
If we go back to the previous government and analyse how PPP diverted the media and people from their bad governance then we don’t see the much difference between PPP and PTI strategy. It was not too long ago when Zulfiqar Mirza of PPP was selected to create the diversion of Public through press conferences against MQM. Zulfiqar Mirza alleged Altaf Hussain with killings in Karachi and 12th May incident and also went to London with suitcase full of so called evidences. Now Khan is practising the same style of politics by accusing MQM chief of killing a PTI senior member Zehra Shahid and violence in Karachi.
Khan was considered a different politician among all but unfortunately he showed lack of interest towards national issues like terrorism by leaving to the country and going to London and ignoring the importance of APC announced by government for countering the terrorism.
Khan has always talked about seeing a better Pakistan with corruption free society, now got first ever chance to perform in the political structure of Pakistan. Luckily, he turned out to be a bigger force in the parliament in terms of seats, but in his very first speech he made his own vote bank questionable by calling these election “the most rigged in the history of Pakistan”.
Since PTI has formed government in KP, the party has lost two MPAs and many citizens in terrorist attacks and province has been hit by many bomb attacks, which mostly claimed by TTP. The fragile condition of KP was asking Khan to take APC seriously and come up with the strong solutions for the people of that only province who voted for him the first time. Not only in KP but in Karachi, TTP has owned many attacks on political workers, citizens, sectarian killings and bombings, but Khan never condemned them instead asked them to hold on their activities tillMay11th in one of his pre-election speech.
According to reports, Khan never paid visit to Zahra’s family for condolence. In fact Zahra was among very few members of PTI who were working for the party for 17 year but recently was sidelined by some new members. She wasn’t happy with the local and Sind leadership of the party and not too long ago Fauzia kasuri accepted the internal rift between Zehra shahid and PTI’s Sind leadership on media. All the above mentioned should be investigated by competent investigation team to bring perpetrators to justice.
The question is that then why Khan is clamoring Zehra Shahid’s murder and not the two PTI MPAs killed by terrorists in KP? The reality is that Khan’s party is no different than those parties who have been failed in implementing their tall claims and promises in the province. People’s expectations from Khan were higher than other parties who are ruling other provinces like PPP and PMLN as both of them have been tested many times unlike Khan. Now Supreme Court has ordered to hold local body election by September, if these provincial governments won’t perform then why would people come out to vote them again.
Therefore, keeping the media and people distracted from the real issues by selling baseless allegation on MQM is the easiest way of hiding own failure. We have seen zulfiqar Mirza played the shameful game in 2011 and now Khan is doing the same. Whose agenda is he playing by distracting media from real issues or is he playing friendly opposition like PMLN did in last tenure?