Lost ground
Imran Khan had continued to assert with confidence that the JC’s verdict would vindicate his stand of systematic rigging having been committed to keep the PTI out of power. What is more he had predicted that fresh polls are bound to be held this year. The verdict delivered by the Judicial Commission has belied Khan’s expectations. The report by the commission, which was set up on Khan’s demand and was chaired by a judge of his own choice, comes as the biggest political setback in the history of the PTI. It will take time and a more responsible attitude on the part of Imran Khan to retrieve the lost ground.
Imran Khan had built up expectations in the PTI which were thoroughly unrealistic. Many in the party who considered Imran infallible were convinced that the PTI would be in power within months. A number of new comers had joined the party hoping that the PTI would be forming the government before the year was out. It would be difficult for them to reconcile with the idea of the present setup continuing for another three years. Will this lead to desertions from the PTI?
The verdict provides Imran Khan’s detractors an opportunity to even the score with him. It is a matter of satisfaction however that major political leaders, including those Imran Khan frequently ridiculed, have responded with restraint and sobriety. Javed Hashmi says the verdict has darkened Khan’s political future. While one might call it a big setback it would be premature to maintain that the party may not recover from it.
The PTI represents a large section of the urban middle class which puts premium on merit rather than privilege. Many think Khan alone can challenge the old family-based politics where the mantle is acquired through descent rather than ability. Imran Khan will have to convince his constituency that the PTI is capable of raising its concerns effectively in Parliament.