Another dimension to tabdeeli?
PIA was quick to clear both the PML-M MNA and the former interior minister, of course, and even suspended two employees, but the sense of relief on part of a very broad section of the middle class was unmistakable. Finally, they said, people were starting to stand up to the culture of holding ordinary people hostage to the wishes, whims, and shenanigans of those close to the highest circles of power in this Islamic Republic. Going by the uproar on social media alone, it is clear that nobody believes in official explanations anymore, especially from government institutions that serve as little more than the ruling elite’s mouth pieces. So, few on board PK370 Monday evening believed in the technical problems that PIA chose to hide itself, and Rehman Malik and Ramesh Kumar, behind. This was, of course, one of those typical problems that suddenly crop up every time a super VIP is travelling and is, as usual, late.
And, as the leaked cell-phone video that went viral showed in detail, the people threw out the two VIPs that caused the two-hour or so delay, with the management unable to control matters. Is this air of change – which is seeing the working middle class take things into its own hands when it sees official excesses on embarrassingly blatant display – a spillover of the dharnas of Islamabad, now in their second month? No surprises for guessing the answer from PTI and PAT camps. Yet however much Imran has drawn criticism for the manner of his protest, he has done a pretty good job of alienating the ruling clique from the people, and even the forces that they went after so strongly when Gen Musharraf’s trial took off.
Strangely, though, the Sharif family seems to learn little from its mistakes. The other day media outlets aired news of special relief camps being setup to complement the CM’s visit to flood hit areas, only to be removed after his departure. And even when the people got to know of such behaviour, the N league’s attitude hardly changed. But it seems people have had enough of this VIP culture, and one way or the other, those who have eaten off the fat of this land for far too long might find themselves in increasingly awkward situations. The PIA episode was definitely a game-changer, and should serve as a warning.
