After the rally…

After the rally on Sunday, parties so far ignoring Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf as a force will do so only at great political risk. It goes to Imran’s credit that he has initiated into politics a section of the youth that was generally cynical about politics and remained a part of the silent majority that does not cast vote. The rally also attracted many families who joined the rally along with children and elderly people.

The rally also revealed the chinks in PTI’s armour. It was only an urban show with an over representation of the well-to-do. This was indicated by the three extra large parking lots packed with cars with many more left along the roadside for nearly two kilometers. Among the audience was a fairly large number of the present or past alumni of the upscale English medium schools who enthusiastically responded to the bands of their liking playing at the stage. While a significant section of the mega city was thus represented at the rally, there was only a sprinkling of a much larger section comprising the lower middle class, the urban poor and labour. Also disquieting was the absence of a vision and a hunch for quick fixes in Imran’s speech. This created the perception that if electricity was restored and looted money brought back, the country would be flowing with milk and honey. There was no word about the restoration of law and order, the issue of poverty and lawlessness and the uncontrolled growth of population that continues to nullify whatever remedial measures are taken. It is naïve to think that those who are fighting for a worldwide Khilafat, or continue to kill people belonging to other Muslim sects will become peaceful citizens once the US-led forces have left Afghanistan. Similarly, there was no word about how to address the grievances of the smaller provinces. The theme song of the rally “Hum sub aik hain” might win applause in Lahore but would hardly satisfy those in smaller federal units.

While rallies might help in spreading the message of a political party, what counts in a Westminster style of democracy is the party machine active in all the provinces and a widely introduced second tier of leadership. Will PTI concentrate on creating the apparatus prior to the elections due in 2013 or fritter way its energies on agitations?