Two public meetings, both with differing agendas, were held on 30 October, one in Lahore, the other in Karachi. The Lahore meeting by Imran Khan had an agenda for change, where hundreds of thousands came to voice their protest against rampant unchecked corruption and abuse of powers by those who have misruled this country during past nine years and driven it to bankruptcy and galloping inflation.
Imran Khan carries with him no baggage and therefore majority of people in this country, who have undivided loyalty to this country, or no vested interests and whose future is wedded to Pakistan, look up to him.
While those parties holding power at the centre are sure to be wiped out, the PML(N) vote bank has also suffered and their fate depends upon political roadmap that they give and follow in coming weeks and months.
On other hand, the public meeting in Karachi by three coalition partners, whose governance itself is the source of discontent amongst the masses, was held to maintain status quo and had nothing to do with respect for constitutional offices, or for democratic culture.
The three beneficiaries of NRO have joined hands to evade accountability, not realising that patience of the people has run out and they have no more tolerance for abuses and plunder that has been going on for years by an establishment dominated by corrupt politicians, khakis and civil bureaucrats.
Change is in the air and when the people have decided, no power can stop this. Mere process of being elected should never be considered to be a right to assume powers. Those political parties who do not speak out against corruption stand no chance in a free and fair election.
MALIK TARIQ ALI
Lahore
