New Khan Express

By
Ali Aftab Saeed
-
27
302

The moral-free bandwagon of the landed elite

Landed aristocrats are by nature conservative in their political, economic, social and religious disposition. Since a change in the status quo would cause a decline in their standing, they fight any movement for change tooth and nail. They have always been the biggest obstacle in the progress of a society. For instance, England before the Bill of Rights; France before the 18th century; China before 1949; Russia before 1917; the US before Lincoln. In Pakistan the landlords, to this day, have managed to make their way into the governing bodies of all political parties because of their constituency clout.

Ashiq Husain Batalvi’s book Iqbal kay akhri do saal contains letters of Iqbal to Jinnah, in which he is clearly not happy with Jinnah for his acceptance of feudal aristocrats into the Muslim League. Iqbal insisted on promoting middle class individuals such as Malik Barkat Ali – one of only two winners from the Muslim League from Punjab in the 1937 elections. Iqbal particularly insisted that Jinnah not proceed to sign the pact with Sikandar Hayat Khan for the same reason. Jinnah paid no heed, and the rest is history.

In the1946 elections, the Muslim League relied on the landed elite for its vote bank, and ultimately we ended up with the crippled Ghulam Muhammad ruling the country and toppling prime ministers at will. After Ghulam Muhammad’s exit, the landlords characteristically continued siding with the establishment.

They backed Ayub Khan against Fatima Jinnah in the 1964 presidential elections. While the progressive leaders of the time – Bacha Khan, Mujibur Rahman, Hussain Shaheed Suhrawardi and others – supported Jinnah, she obviously stood no chance against the self-appointed field marshal. Ayub won, but Pakistan lost heavily. In 1971, we returned half of our God-given state back to God with a thank-you note.

Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto relied on the same bunch, first in 1970 and then more extensively in 1977. While Bhutto won power, these feudal lords opposed, successfully, anything that threatened to go against their interest.

Bhutto’s land reforms are a good example. While Bhutto succeeded in implementing the second wave of land reforms in 1977 against the feudal lords’ wishes, his victory was short-lived. Islam, of all things, came to the rescue. Zia overthrew Bhutto, and with Zia came the Federal Shariat Court. The land reforms were challenged, and the Shariat Appellate Bench of the Supreme Court declared the land reforms un-Islamic and therefore unconstitutional. The reforms may have temporarily clipped their wings but the infuriated landed aristocrats had had the last laugh again, with solid help from men of God and men of Justice.

The feudal lords, in the meanwhile, had of course pledged their allegiance to Zia. The Lunds, the Jatois, the Junejos were now part of Zia’s cabinet, leaving middle class leaders like Jehangir Badar to get whiplashed. In If I Am Assassinated Bhutto admits that his gravest mistake was his attempt to marry the rural elite with the urban bourgeois – an impossible union – which led to his downfall.

Fast forward to 2011, and the landed aristocrats and other traditional pro-establishment puppets are now falling over each other pledging their allegiance to the PTI. With the establishment realising that the popular political parties may be getting desperate to minimise its role in politics, and with Imran’s slogans against corruption getting popular, it was natural for the establishment to pave the way for Imran. Although the establishment is known to be very meticulous and painstaking in its ways, it is often enough for the generals to casually drop at get-togethers something like, “It seems Imran is coming into power.”

The establishment, however, has problems of its own. One, Imran is neither tried nor tested and at any time could pull a Nawaz Sharif on the establishment; and two, Nawaz Sharif has just offered the establishment his services too by moving the Supreme Court on the memo issue.

A coalition government would suit the establishment’s cause best, and so it would like the PTI to make an alliance with PML(N), something in which Imran doesn’t seem interested – at least now. PPP is not an option, and an overly depleted PML(N) would mean a very powerful Imran.

The establishment is in a sense trying to make and break the PTI at the same time. Why would the resident PTI analyst break it on live TV that Shah Mehmood didn’t want Imran to receive Javed Hashmi at the Karachi airport, but Imran did so anyway? Makes no sense, unless the analyst is more loyal to Kayani than the PTI, and the PTI’s momentum – at PML(N)’s cost – is a bit too much for even its backers. The extent of the establishment’s confusion in the coming days will be directly proportional to PML(N)’s problems.

What about Imran’s slogan of change that has so excited the masses though? The path to real change (Imran’s or anybody else’s) will have to start from good riddance to the feudal rubbish. It can be a bloody affair like China, industrially driven like England, or democratically directed the way Nehru did it in India. History suggests that to have them in your team and bring a change would be impossible. Imran apparently thinks otherwise. Good luck to him!

The writer is a member of the band Beygairat Brigade that has recently released the single Aaloo Anday.

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27 COMMENTS

  1. This is a classic over-analysis of the situation. The only reason the 'resident' PTI analysis broke the news live was to establish IK's leadership credentials that he wont be held hostage to the whims of his star studded team members. You seem like another conspiracy theorist who sees establishment behind every move and motion in the country.

  4. fantastic thoughts!
    I must congratulate the author for nonbiased views.
    These are genuine fears! Imran must address them!!

  5. Long Live Brigade! Underlying problems is not only feudals but religion itself. We need separation of MOSQUE & POLITICS. Only a secular democracy with freedom of religion & speech can get it as in all developed peace countries. Death to dictatorship either of military or religion.

  6. A two minute drill to a 64 years of pakistan politics and written by who??? a band player? don't think so. If you read author previous articles and compare it against this, a clear difference in writing style will emerg and clears up the smoke-screen. These so-called liberals would love to read between the lines conspiracies against Imran Khan but on-your face farc governance would be business as usual.

    Question to Mr. Ghost Writer- what is your alternative to PTI?

  7. most of things i agree but not about khan being blackmailed by his power full alliance … . " an army of sheep led by a lion can always defeat an army of lions led by a sheep " ..and worst biggest indication towards coming good…

  8. I'm a PTI tiger and I think your analysis carries a lot of weight. I wish Imran Khan a lot of luck in dealing with the feudal lot joining PTI. There is some hope that the sheer number of them joining PTI and the rivalry between them may cancel each other's influence.

    As per the establishment backing allegation, why go out of your way denying something that may actually help you in an election!?! It is yet to be seen in an election if Pakistani public is troubled by any party being "backed" by the establishment. For all we know this propaganda may go in favor of PTI.

  9. Weak in parts but made a damn good point. The problem is FEUDALISM and it needs to die a horrible bloody death (imo there can’t be any other solution in this country). PTI has made severe stumbles (in the thinking, rational man’s eyes) along its road to acceptance, the LEAST of which is accepting the feudals as legitimate members in its ranks.

  10. Some things happen slowly, gradually. Anyone remember how the Cold War ended. Well it wasn't all done in one go. Imran knows only too well that if he ever intends to change Pakistan he has to start somewhere. As the Chinese saying goes, If tou want to move a mountain, you have to start with the first rock.

  12. If its going to be industrially driven…. somebody with the intent to get the industry going would have to come to power… it seems you have mentioned England and India, but essentially discounted them in your analysis….

  13. Imran struggle on rigged principle for 15 Years but this nation didnt elect his party, now he has realized that what steps he has to take for bringing his agenda.

  14. Someitmes there are simple solutions to complilcated problems the only issue is that we are so occupied with unimportant matter that we do not pay proper attention to the basic rules that should be followed no matter how good things seem to be going.The feudals are never a problem,They are successful so far coz they are very subservient and present themselves in such a way that they appear to be more loyal than the king himself. They can be dealt with easily as they usually play along. The solutions are simple if u have experienced and dedicated people running the party. The only problem will arise where the feudals are not allocated tickets to run in the elections. They will then defect and run to other parties and when they defect they usually take the whole set up with them in that particular constituency. The solution to this is to have a solid and strong party set up in all such areas. The party should make sure that the party offices are allocated to die hard party workers so that the organisation stands once the feudals defect and they have an organisation in place to support their candidate.

  15. in my view isi was present before 30 oct also. these are the people like me want change. and we trust ik. the people joining are after 30 october jalsa coz the seem that there is third option.

  16. A good angle on Feudal's role in Pakistan's politics the Gilanis and Qureshi's rise started from unionist period,,.and according to Ayesha Jalal's books, Quaid in 1937 swore never to return to Punjab…but needed Muslim majority province to back him, hense his collusion with landed aristrocracy of Punjab.

  17. do you see any way forward? PPP and N league is dying hard to get these people. Its better he try this way. Its better to try for something rather than sitting at home and talk in your drawing rooms. If IK can implement half of what he is saying things will improve. with middle class and other lecture things wont improve one percent. If you want blood shed then its other story. Life will be pretty different after blood shed and I wonder people will be able to sing and live the life they are living now.

  19. what chances rana bhagwan das will have against arbab rehim this is reality man… imran needs winning horses everyone crying abt estblishment helping pti estblisment supported mma pmlq in one and anp in the next one.v see the great job they all did.atleast this time est r supporting someone who is far more capable and better in our 60yrs history…plz let him get there this is our last chance….

  20. Feudal couldn't carry on with their criminal minds and acts unless the army / civil establishment as well as the religious fanatics backed them .

  21. Mind blowing analysis. As the days are passing by I have this strong sense of feeling increasing in my 6th sense center that PPP will win the next elections thumbs down !!

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