Agenda-changing: Harbinger of third political force?

If Imran Khan was once the darling of media and TV channels, he emerged as a real leader of the masses after his mammoth Minar-e-Pakistan public meeting and a force to be reckoned with in future political developments.
No wonder, the public meeting took the entire political class by surprise, and some even wondered how he managed to mount such a big show on his own. Mostly young people turned up at the venue in great numbers from the city and adjoining areas, highly enthusiastic to listen to Khan as if expecting see their hero in action in the final of the World Cup once again, turning tables on his archrivals, here perceived to be the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)’s Sharifs.
The sight of Imran Khan addressing thousands of youths in a public rally far greater in numbers than the one the PML-N put together by employing all the means available, would have been most discomforting for the Sharifs, already under pressure from the sporting star. But probably the Sharifs, by their political bungling, asked for it and Imran gave it to them in the most befitting manner.
Though short of any spectacular announcement as was expected, the occasion was a real show of power and the rising strength of the PTI and as such a message loud and clear for all those that matter in Pakistani politics. Already the political analysts termed the event ‘agenda-changing’, if not a game-changer, while for others it was a trend-setter in the country’s politics with the PTI emerging as a real force, as a political heavyweight with deadly and dangerous connotations for its opponents.
Some commentators believe it could be a harbinger of the emergence of a third force in Pakistani politics before the stage is set for the next general elections or in case of any change at the top. A third force that will cut to size of both main parties, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the PML-N, in coming elections and the post-election political scenario. No doubt it was a one of the biggest gatherings the people have ever witnessed in the city, most political analysts and participants say one should expect winds of change in a country that has more than its share of problems.
But experts say that with the kind of leadership that is the part of the PTI right now, and with little and most rudimentary political organisation in the country, only a miracle can bring Imran to power. The people occupying the stage next to Imran Khan bring out this dilemma of the PTI in the most glaring fashion. Imagine Mahmood-ur-Rasheed sitting next to Imran Khan at the stage as the second senior-most in the party, placed even before the likes of Mian Azhar. According to one political leader, Rasheed was one of those leaders expelled from the party on charges of corruption.
Political sources believe that Imran Khan lacked both political organisation and leaders and candidates well-versed with constituency politics or big names in their respective areas to make a real difference in electoral politics. According to some analysts, it would be interesting to see Imran Khan overcoming this handicap and in this pursuit him being supported by the establishment, nudging the politicians from different parties towards the PTI or lending them for the time being to boost the party’s fortunes in coming days.
Already, a large number of politicians, including fence-sitters, splinter groups with penchant to gauge which way the wind is blowing, are double-minded where to go before the next elections: the PML-N or the PTI, with the latter being considered a symbol of change in the country. As such, Imran’s show could trigger a rat race among ticket-seekers. Sunday’s show would go a long way to lending a lot more clarity to their future choices.
Already as the battle for Punjab heats up here, there is a tough competition going on between the PML-N and PTI to woo important personalities, fence-sitters and splinter groups. It seems the appeal for Imran Khan will be too strong to resist now. The feedback on Imran Khan’s speech, though, short of the political semantics the people expect of a real politician, has been positive. Though Imran, like the PML-N leadership, launched a frontal attack against President Asif Ali Zardari, he never lost the balance. It also seemed that he was not in any great hurry to force any political change.
It appears as if he wants to proceed further slowly and steadily and wants change through constitutional means as opposed to the PML-N leadership, which is looking for a change overnight.