PTI: the party for political leftovers

Most political figures joining the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) not only lack genuine political credentials but are also the ones who were leftovers and found no future of their own in the mainstream political parties anymore, negating the impression fully that Imran Khan will piece together a genuine political leadership, if not entirely a lot exhibiting revolutionary flavour before the next elections in the country. Another striking feature of the party’s evolution in recent times, especially after its immensely successful Minar-e-Pakistan public meeting, is that the political class is encouraged to join the PTI without any methodology. So anybody is welcome in the party folds, even five or six people from one constituency.
Several politicians have joined the PTI recently and many more are poised to join ranks with Imran Khan in the coming days, including some so-called heavyweights while others are still weighing their political options. But the list of those aligning with the PTI on a regular basis these days hardly inspire confidence among the public that they are capable of making any difference when the chips are down.
Most of them, in fact, are the ones not hopeful of getting a ticket from either the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) or the PML-Quaid. As such, it suits them personally to switch loyalties and find a new political abode and address – and is the PTI, a party very much on the right side of public opinion and forces that matter in the country’s politics.
“They are going to the PTI not out of any deep-rooted commitment to change, but because they are left with no option other than joining the PTI, in some cases dictated by the dictates of local politics,” said a senior politician.
For example Mian Afzal Hayat from Gujrat was almost stranded after the PPP and PML-Q electoral understanding. He expected that the party would support the PPP candidate in the coming elections as part of the agreement reached between the Chaudhrys and the PPP leadership, and he would not be able to get a party ticket. Hence, for him it was time to say goodbye to the PML-Q and make a new start with Imran Khan. Another example is that of Col Anwer from Attock, another PML-Q leader and former provincial minister. He too found it difficult to stay in the party with little prospect of getting a ticket in the next elections in the unfolding political equation in his hometown. He, too, ditched the party to join the PTI. Political analysts say local constituency politics is influencing the decisions of the political leaders weighing their future options.
Interestingly, Imran Khan has not adopted any methodology based on the dynamics of local politics while welcoming the new inductions into the party, no matter what credentials they bring with them, such as known feudals part of every political set up, wedded to the status quo.
More than one person from the same constituency is often invited to join the party. The pitched battles between the supporters of two rival groups were witnessed when two candidates from the same area in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa joined PTI and were waiting to meet Imran Khan. Attention is not paid to other local considerations either, such as clan or caste, gathering people representing opposite interest groups. Already the new intake and responsibilities being given to them is causing a great deal of heartburn among the party old timers. The appointment of Shafqat Mahmood – who tried his luck with every party after starting his political journey with the PPP and later joining ranks with a military dictator – as the PTI information secretary, replacing a party diehard Omer Cheema, has created deep ripples in the party. Insiders doubt the commitment and loyalty of such people towards the party.
The political analysts again are not sure if the presence of Shah Mehmood Qureshi, another new addition to the PTI who is an ambitious person by nature, will be an asset or liability in the long run.
However, they are sure that most of the people gathering around Imran Khan would turn out to be liabilities difficult for him to shed come election time.