Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf Chairman Imran Khan says he is happy to go into opposition if his “tsunami” of popular support fails to bring him a landslide victory at elections now widely expected within months.
The 59-year-old former cricketer has ridden a wave of support buoyed by mass rallies and has openly backed the courts’ pursuit of embattled President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.
But in an interview with AFP at his hilltop villa outside Islamabad, Khan admitted that his fledgling Movement for Justice could suffer if a series of crises force general elections earlier than September or October.
“The ‘tsunami’ is ready. We will be ready. Obviously it suits our party… if this government goes for another six months,” he said.
If the current government collapses earlier than the summer, Khan could see his popularity – built on the back of nationalist rhetoric delivered with messianic zeal and rousing musical performances – put to a premature test.
“We would happily go into the opposition if we can’t form a government because basically it’s a battle between forces of status quo and forces of change,” Khan told AFP.
Speculation is widespread that Khan’s party is being quietly groomed by the powerful military, which are believed to back moves in the courts to chip away at Zardari and Gilani’s authority.
“I think it’s the endgame because the government — it’s been openly defying the Supreme Court,” said Khan.
“I don’t think the Supreme Court is going to back down. They’ve called the prime minister dishonest so really in any decent democracy he should have resigned by now and then asked to go back to the people.”
But he added, “No one wants martial law in this country, none of us want it. I think the time for martial law is over in Pakistan.”
Khan insists his relationship with the generals is a “sensible” one that would put him clearly in charge should his party sweep to power.
“If I’m the prime minister, if I have the responsibility, I have the authority,” he said.
Predictions for early polls have inched forward as tensions have risen between the prime minister and army, and with the Supreme Court now holding Gilani in contempt of court.
The contempt order given by judges adjudicating corruption claims leaves the government’s fate perilously unclear.
Analysts say however it plays out, momentum is building for early elections, officially due at the beginning of 2013, but now believed more probable in either April or September-October.
Khan rules out forming a coalition with any of the “status quo” parties he considers venal and corrupt – the PPP or the PML-N.
Instead he is confident that his prescription for Pakistan — unbuckling the country from the US-led war on terror alliance with the United States by refusing foreign aid and launching a massive austerity drive, will succeed.
But political commentators say Khan’s vision of a united Pakistan free from mafia and liberated from foreign influence is a pipe dream playing to a receptive crowd as the country faces renewed political uncertainty.
Malaysia, Turkey, South Africa and even Scandinavia are cited as models of inspiration for Khan and among the youth, his message is being widely embraced.
“He is giving them dreams, dreams for the future,” said Hasan Askari. “But we don’t know whether he will be able to realise those dreams.”
The turncoats he has gathered around him would not take very kindly to that 😀
bt i dont like ths reality, i want him to be prime minister must
It’s better for us (in a moral way) to be in opposition then to become partners in the political crime – IK.
I dislike the “A reality-check for Imran”.
Then how Nawaz is a partner in political crime?
Don’t you be giving up Imran khan
If there are no dreams…you have nothing to follow..IK has dreams and we shall help him realize them InshaAllah:)
One thing IK is brave pathan educated sensible man world knows him he can handle the pressure we can trust him.few fraud corrupt insane people trying to run country they can not run “Dhaba” people should wake up now and take right step.
Yes,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,you should////////////////////
PTI will win the election. Army and forces of every country in the third world are for discipline and guard the borders. In our country forces are the strongest disciplined institution to protect the external and internal interests of the country. A person like Imran Khan does not really care to be a prime minister of the government and country or just sit in the opposition or just be in the parliament and nominate a parliamentary leader. In politics he is a person like great poet Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi sahib has said in his one of the poems, " KIDHER SAY AIYA, KIDHER GIYA WO, EIK MAANOOS AJNABI THA, MUJHAY TOU HERAIN KAR GIYA WO ". Watch-out people, once Imran's party win's you may not see him among the front runners of his party like Shah Mahmood or Javed Hashmi or others. You never know he will clean up the mess by just keeping a low profile and calling the shots. But at the time the country needs a strong leader to lead and who could be better than Imran Khan. He use to be aking of Cricket but long time ago he has abdicated from that title, and is ready for a fresh and new throne. Good Luck PTI and Imran Khan. Opposition or Government, who cares?
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