Itching for agitation

Imran Khan needs to revise his style of politics

Despite having a respectable representation in the National Assembly and forming its own government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the PTI remains obsessed with agitational politics thus wasting much of its potential and endangering the system. Over the last three years Imran Khan’s politics has centered around protests, long marches and the so-called Tsunamis, promoting an image of an angry politician. He does not seem to care if the methods he is employing are the best ones to achieve the goal. His march to South Waziristan in August last year was aimed at putting pressure on the US to stop the drone attacks but failed to do so. The blocking of the NATO supplies was also aimed at achieving the same goal. While announcing the blockade a cocksure Imran had maintained that the action would leave no option for Washington other than stopping the drone attacks. After over five weeks of blockade there is still no end to drone strikes while the US has conveyed in no uncertain terms that there would be no reimbursement of coalition support funds if the supplies remained suspended. Imran has reacted strongly to Nawaz Sharif’s warning s against pushing the country into isolation in the international arena. This could pave way for fresh confrontation between KP administration and the federal government. There are hints that the province might soon be having a new governor.

Those who hoped that Imran Kan would unite the opposition in the NA to keep the government under check were disappointed to see PTI initiating an unnecessary confrontation with the PPP in Karachi. The Sindh High Court had passed an order about the security wall surrounding the Bilawal House while one side of the road is already opened. Instead of letting the court get its order implemented, the PTI itself initiated a protest that led to a clash.

By remaining continuously in the agitation mode the PTI is losing potential allies in the opposition. What is more it is losing focus over vital issues facing the entire country in general and KP in particular. Less than two weeks back the PTI chief had vowed to personally lead the campaign against polio. The urge for agitation hindered him from going beyond a ceremonial administering of polio of drops to children in a government hospital. On Saturday yet another polio worker was killed in Peshawar while two were injured. It is high time Khan reviewed his style of politics.