Move to the streets

Political compulsions have prompted the latest surge in street demonstrations. While, for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), it is a continuation of their ‘remove the government’ campaign, PML(N) has jumped in apparently because they feel their bastion of power is threatened by the growing public disenchantment on the one hand and the constantly improving popularity indicators of Imran Khan on the other. Lahore promises to stage the battle of the titans as PML(N) is holding a rally there on October 28 while PTI is poised to showing its strength on October 30.

The manner in which PML(N) has reacted to a variety of PTI’s deft political moves has exposed their vulnerability. Just a few months ago, not many people were inclined to even acknowledging that PTI existed. What are the key factors that have brought about this sea change in such a short period of time when Imran Khan and his party have become serious contenders to the corridors of power in the country and how can PTI transform this surge into votes to win the battle?

There are many factors that separate Imran Khan from the rest of the motley crew. The foremost is that he is not tainted. Whatever his adversaries may say about him, and the tirade is going to heat up as time passes, no one can raise a finger at his integrity and incorruptibility. He is also a doer: he has accomplished so much while being out of the government when his adversaries can only boast of the unbelievable manner in which they have looted the country to fill up their personal coffers when they headed incumbent governments. PTI wants to make the most of this distinction by playing it alone or joining hands only with those who have remained clean in their interactions. That also helps politically as it creates a clear divide between the corrupt mafias on the one hand and PTI on the other. It gives the voters a choice: if they want the corrupt status quo to continue, they can vote for one of the many options available to them, PML(N) and PPP being the forerunners, but if they want to bring about a meaningful change, if they want the culture of corruption to be eliminated and if they want a new, genuine and credible political leadership to emerge and take control, they have to bet on Imran and PTI.

It is this divide that has sent shudders through the opposition’s spine as they are trying desperately to blur it by making all kind of attractive offers to win him over. They know he is way beyond the incentive of a few seats, so they are even offering him the leadership of a coalition that he could strike with them. There is a ferocious drive to somehow dent his resolve which hasn’t worked so far and is not likely to work in the future also.

On the other hand, Imran seeing the jitters in the opposition’s camp, is pushing hard for the kill. He is doing it through an intelligent use of the combination of tools available to him: letting clean and credible people join his party of whom there is an ever growing number coming in now and disseminating his message to all sections of the society by organising political gatherings and using components of the media network effectively. Gradually he has felt strengthened as the government and its allied parties perpetuate their blunders which have started manifesting in an extremely debilitating manner: people self-immolating because they don’t have jobs and others dying waiting through a cold night for their turn to draw overdue pensions. There is scarcity of all the basic needs which, more or less, are beyond an ordinary person’s reach in any case. There is no electricity, gas, petrol, diesel and CNG to name a few. State institutions have collapsed and no effort is afoot to retrieve them. National security has been bartered for a few dollars and alliances are being enacted to stay in power with political groups that have been accused of extortion and murder.

It is his increasing strength that has pushed the opposition parties to start making strategic blunders. By announcing a rally two days ahead of the PTI, PML(N) is trapped. First, by reacting in the manner it has to the increasing PTI popularity, it has exposed its political weakness. Then, in spite of using the administrative support it has in the Punjab, if it somehow fails to put up an impressive show, of which there is a possibility, it would surrender its much-avowed dominance in the heart of Punjab to its opponent. PTI will then have its path clearly chartered as it would move swiftly to gaining further strength at the expense of PML(N) which, in the last elections, had emerged as a regional party with pockets of support in Punjab alone. Once that support base is forfeited, PML(N) will be on the run.

PTI has gone way beyond the point where it could make political compromises. By taking clear and uncompromising positions on the problems that the country faces and pinpointing the reasons that have caused them, it cannot make any adjustments now. Consequently, it has reduced most of the options that may have remained available otherwise. For some, that may be lacking in foresight, but that is the minimum price that a political party has to pay for spearheading the movement for a meaningful change. PTI’s ascendance is now virtually linked with the prospect of this change and any compromise at this stage would damage it by eliminating the distinction that it has worked so hard to establish.

The writer is a political analyst and a member of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. He can be reached at [email protected]