All talk?

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Apparently, Imran Khan’s novelty value has finally caught up with many Pakistanis (particularly the younger lot on Facebook) who now see him as a viable alternative and describe him as ‘different’. The apparent argument is that anyone new deserves a chance.
Obviously, every dog has his day and by that measure some day I deserve a chance too but more of that in my campaign. The problem with Imran Khan is that he has not actually defined a problem that he can fix. Obnoxious talk show hosts with even more obnoxious facial hair hardly interrupt him with questions as he rants on and on against the US and ‘the government’ (we still do not know whether Khan is talking the federal as well as all provincial governments).
And here his playboy past becomes relevant. Playboys in Pakistan have always been an endangered species so going by an urge to preserve a nearly extinct species Khan does deserve support — but definitely not on the political front. You see, playboys are usually good at saying what the audience in question wants to hear. That is the first lesson in seduction: do not say the wrong thing at the wrong time for it may kill the mood.
But playboys hardly ever mean what they say, since the goal is not any long-term commitment. And that is how Khan is trying to seduce our youth. He is not saying anything really relevant or meaningful but desperate young minds seeking courtship are planning on voting for him. Of course if, God forbid, Khan does come into power, the people should be ready to hear what all willing victims of one-night stands hear: ‘I never seriously meant any of that stuff. It happened in the moment’. This therefore is Khan’s moment — of mindless rhetoric and putting logic to the sword.
He loves talking about a political solution with the Pakistani Taliban and the militants in general. It is laughable that he tries to convince people of his logic by pointing out family links with the North-Western areas. By that measure everyone from the North-West is just as qualified to govern as him so he isn’t really saying anything different. I have news for him: the ANP is already in power in the KPK and making courageous decisions that actually tackle issues.
He does not mention the fact that his so-called ‘political solution’ with the Pakistani Taliban has already been tried by the federal as well as the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government. It failed. To use a hip phrase, ‘it failed epically’. Who broke the pact? The Taliban (TTP to be precise). Do Khan and his supporters want us to sit back again while more of such ‘peace pacts’ are violated and people are killed and terrorized? What moral authority does he have to talk about innocent civilians when he says that the militants are only reacting against a war waged on them?
This war against terror is our war and it needs to be fought on the ideological front as well for it will define our generation’s future. We need soul-searching arguments and Khan offers none. What we, as a generation, need are leaders willing to lead us in asking tough questions of ourselves, of all that is wrong at home and confront them. Khan simply does not make the cut.
It is not clear at all what he means by talking about a political solution with the likes of the Haqqani network. What can he negotiate? Keep training terrorists but don’t let them attack US forces or Pakistan? That is absurd. Many of these militant leaders have invested a life-time in picking a murderous cause and trying to grab power and influence through it. When a certain faction is bent on grabbing power and the ideology of hate, it will find any reason under the sun to justify murder, from not covering your head/growing a beard and/or simply working towards secular governance.
Khan’s loves pointing out the obvious e.g. the economy is in a state of crisis and that our foreign debt is piling up. Well done, Sherlock, but what is your point? He loves talking against the IMF without ever pointing out what he would do differently. Does he seriously think he can run this country’s economic affairs by rejecting all foreign aid, grants and loans? If he knows how to manage that then he is smarter than all of Pakistan’s revered economists. The worst kept secret? He is not smarter than them because he does not have a plan.
His biggest strength and the greatest pitfall for those who love him is that he is not saying anything. He is feeding that Pakistani fetish of blaming the rest of the world by pointing to the drone attacks and the IMF. Let me see him question the Pakistani military for extra judicial killings and the collateral damage at its hands. Let me see him take on those who run hate-spewing madrassahs if he is so passionate about education.
And of course the claim ‘but he is not corrupt!’. But what of sheer incompetence? I do not need to vote someone into power to ‘test’ him when he cannot even analyse issues with honesty. And I am too old to be seduced by hollow words. May we all grow up.

The writer is a Barrister and has a special interest in Anti-trust/Competition law. He can be reached at [email protected]

26 COMMENTS

  1. Imran Khan does not talk about reforming the colonial era governing systems that we are still adhering to. Police act 1861 has been revived again in Sindh! People and media should ask for these reforms since none of the politicians want to even touch this topic.

    • He can always point out the problems but cannot give soloution to any problem. Y??? is he not competent enough or what. How long he can do dhurnas and jalsas by the support of agencies. He needs to organize his party and party officials first. A person who is not able to organize his party for the last 13 years, how can u expect from him to run a country. Just name any 3 officials of his party who can come in media and rep PTI.

        • even no other party can save or do something alone. if he thinks he can do then he should start doing it. Charity begins at home dear. He needs to bring democracy in his own party first. he will have to say good bye to agencies which are supporting him to organize his party in punjab. If he is a democracy beliver he needs to prove him self diiferent from other leaders. i m not trying to justyfing the other parties , i m just telling u that chnage needs to be dne from grass root level. Untill he dsnt prove to be different he is the same like others. Just by doing Dharnas and jalsas against US dsnt prove him to be a diiferent. Propose a road map. give a soloution to problems. and give a mature and serious solutions and stand by his own words.

  2. By far, the most neutral and pragmatic analysis of the new political hot-shot.

    He just keeps barking all day long, capitalising on the desperation of Pakistanis. I couldn’t believe that in one of his public gatherings, he said, “Main aap sab ko yaqeen dilata hun ke hamari hukoomat main Pakistan cricket world cup jeetay ga.”

    Are you kidding me? Have any of us heard that any of Brazil’s presidential candidate saying that Brazil will win the FIFA World Cup in their tenure and blah blah! I’m a part of youth and I’d say that the day he comes to power would be the last nail in the coffin.

  3. well you say that he has no plan to pull the country out of this crisis then what is that 100 day PTI plan all about. And talking about his credibility we can easily say that he is the best option we have.moreover speaking about competence how can one say that he is not competent if that was the case PTI would not have been where it stands now plus SKMCH is a perfect example of his excellent administration. But I do agree with you about that political solution about extremism he proposes,I've also remained unable to understand his stance properly or rather he has remained unable to explain it properly. But that does not means that we should continue voting for figures like zardari and sharifs so in the end we can only conclude that he is the best option we have.

  4. There are a lot of flaws and gaps in PTI's plans. These need to be discussed by grownups. Mr Mir relies entirely on childish arguments. Imran Kahn has a solid history of delivering what he promised. He may not be able to deliver on the PTI plans, but it is plainly dishonest to say that he makes false promises. The IMF argument is a silly appeal to authority. Do all economists agree with the IMF? Should citizens have no views on economic matters? Is the Bush-Zardari-Karzai plan for terrorism the only option that Mr Mir can imagine. Is there no room for different opinions?

  5. if you knew about seduction properly mate, then according to that no amount of you cribbing would make the people including me not vote for him. I want to see shareef bros and zardari to cry.

  6. He can talk the talk because he'll never get to walk the walk and no one will get to call him out on his bluff.

  7. Mr. Mir…..Come On….He is the only last hope of Pakistan……He has all the game plan my dear… Time will prove Insha’Allah..

    Mr. Sami…..Very sad to read your point of view. The Saying which you were mentioning was delivered in such a way that

    Mr. Khan Cricket Board is not an isolated from other country. As corruption is always there in thos country so there is corruption & corrupt mafia is handling cricket affairs.

    When Mr. Imran Khan will come into power, By The Garce of Allah he will eradicate the Corruption in the country resulting corruption free cricket board.

    We have talent & why we ccanot win the world Cup. We just need to select players on merit & if Cricket Board affairs handled by professional, Insha’Allah we willl be able to won the World Cup

  8. Who is this guy????? Every Tom, Dick asnd Harry these days becomes a column writer……mayb the owner's relative….and on the payroll of Mian sb…….Grow Up Mr. Writer and debate on facts!

  9. Unfortunately, media and journalist are least interested to bring change coz their main motive is to earn from T.v and Funny Columns like one above. This is going to take them no where, Why aren't we concerned about those poor people and labor class who are treated like Animals here, why don't we talk about the fact that Justice is not being given to us at any level. But we talk about k Imran khan should organize his party. LOL

    This is a point of view of a random guy who might be having little political support, and some little money so he can live his live. So chill
    We Support Imran Khan and you will surely get some surprises in elections! 🙂

  10. To Waqas Mir: As you written in your article " Every dog has his DAY".Just think and think again before you write anything

    • Meaningless writing – dull, boring, and puerile, and superficial to the extreme…

      Imran Khan is an achiever and he deserves our respect – he is a doer and he has shown it by example, and above all he is honest (unlike the rest of them in the political garbage heap) – on that score alone, he stands out from the crowd

      Mir has nothing to say – he is just filling up the column space that he is required to fill – completing the word count – Pakistan Today will go down if it persists with such drab "writers"…

  11. Mr. Mir should Understand the Difference between Sarcasm & facts & do please get offended when I say that your Shallow Rhetorics are a Disgrace to this Newspaper & Journalism Generally as it requires to get the facts straight before having an opinion about something or Someone for that matter. I have answers to your every question or concern regarding Imran Khan & that is Not just because I like the Guy or I belong to PTI (which I Don’t) but purely because I listen to his views with an Open Mind & EARS… Seriously You need to Grow Up instead of telling Others… I Wasted My Time reading your Article today…

  12. Every one has its own point of view and it should be respected ! But the good thing is that now people are starting discussing that whether Imran khan has a game plan to run the country or not !

  13. Typical Nawaz League propaganda. This journalist has lost his credibility. I wonder if He is on N League’s payroll.

  14. PTI PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE LEARN TO DEAL WITH CRITICISM. NO THE WRITER HAS NOT LOST HIS CREDIBILITY BY DISAGREEING WITH IMRAN KHAN. IF YOU WAN IMRAN KHAN TO BE A 'REAL' LEADER THEN YOU HAVE TO TOLERATE CRITICISM, PLS GROW UP GUY AND STOP CRYING EVERY TIME KHAN SAAB IS CRITICISED.
    MS. RABIYA HE IS A BARRISTER WHO EARLIER COMPLETED HIS LLB DEGREE FROM THE UNI OF LONDON AND IS NOW PROCEEDING TO HARVARD LAW SCHOOL FOR LLM HE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH NAWAZ SHARIF PLS PTI TIME TO GROW UP IF YOU WANT TO BE A REAL PARTY.

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