INTERVIEW: ‘Punjab will feel the heat too’ –PTI MNA Shehryar Khan Afridi

Dharnas are choices of popular parties

Born on 12 March 1971, Shehryar Khan Afridi is a dynamic young parliamentarian from PTI. He was elected as MNA from NA-14 (Kohat) in 2013. Afridi defeated Gohar Mohammad Bangash of JUI by bagging 67,742 votes while his opponent got 31,886 votes. Afridi was also nominated by PTI as a candidate for the Speaker of the National Assembly against Sardar Ayaz Sadiq of PML-N.

Considered very close lieutenant of Imran Khan, Afridi is the son of Haji Nadir Shah Afridi — a prominent politician and parliamentarian from the 90s who once worked along with Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah during the Pakistan Movement.

Shehryar Khan also contested the 2002 elections as an independent candidate from Kohat. He lost his brother in 2009 at the hands of terrorists. Having firm belief in the parliamentary process, Shehryar Afridi is member of a number of National Assembly standing committees. He has also played first class cricket and cleared competitive service examination.

He talked exclusively to DNA about the current political situation, among other things.

Question: Considering how PML-N and PPP have been fierce rivals, how far back do you trace this “muk muka”? Does it go back to the charter of democracy?

Shehryar Afridi: Despite the fact that I am a diehard PTI worker, let me acknowledge that this alliance is a distorted shape of the Charter of Democracy signed between PPP’s late leader Benazir Bhutto and Mian Nawaz Sharif in 2006. Though I believe that initially this treaty was aimed promoting democracy against military interventions, the spirit of this accord was wrenched into an alliance to save each-other’s corruption once Asif Zardari took over PPP’s reigns.

Ideologically, there are some fundamental differences as one party is being driven by industrial tycoons and the other one has excessive presence of landlords. The leadership of both parties has opposite vision — from thoughts to economic policies.

Occupying large vote banks in the rural and urban areas, both parties are the beneficiaries of the current democratic system. Their political ideology might be different but the common element of financial interests in the system filled with corrupt political practices and misuse of power is a common factor that gels them together. In absence of PTI, the two sides have been hostile against each other and their conventional politics of victimisation and misuse of power brought the nation to the highest level of political mistrust, that often led to martial law.

The charter of democracy was in that context an effort to safeguard each other’s political interests against military might. However, what they failed to foresee was the rising tide of political hatred among the people, who were increasingly aware of their rights and were looking for an opportunity to find a party they could believe in for accountability and justice. When PTI emerged on the national horizon, they collectively identified it as a common enemy that has plans fix the abused and misused system of governance. The word “insaf” itself is a threat to all the looters and plunderers that have been benefiting from the status quo.

It, therefore, broadened the base of rivals against PTI, as it not only challenges political stalwarts but also confronts the dark forces that have deliberately kept the country in turmoil to serve their own agendas. The ‘muk-muka’, therefore, challenges the two collectively, and I am sure that PTI’s popularity will enhance their chances of further collaborations.

Q: Do you think this special arrangement is now over? If so, did the Karachi operation end the romance or were there bigger factors?

SA: I believe that even the PPP leadership understands that the PML-N government is walking a tightrope. The military as an institution has decided to go all the way against the menace of terrorism. PPP as a political party knows how these initiatives are making the military leadership more popular among the masses, and if it does not have a clue of the public pulse, there are many eye opening surveys available to prove the argument further. However, since operation Zarb-e-Azb has uncovered the nexus between the political elite and terrorists, PPP has little options left. So they are making a lot of hue and cry.

PML-N will be equally affected by the anti-terrorism drive as and when the operation is extended to Punjab because their case is also no different. Hence in my opinion the romance is yet not over between the two. They will keep shouting against each other at the top of their voices, yet they are in a nexus as the operation has similar daunting consequences for both. They have been playing the regional cards to gain popularity in their vote banks, for which they need to speak different languages, yet the political drama is not new for the citizens of this country.

Q: The operation is bound to extend to Punjab eventually. How much heat do you think PMLN will feel then? Maybe it will miss the muk muka friend then?

SA: Yes. Punjab will feel the heat too. The military so far has been moving forward on the anti terror agenda and has been uprooting all the political, linguistic, cultural and other hiccups on the way with a clear eye on the target. There is no reason to indemnify Punjab as it will also put the reputation of the institution in question. PML-N will have to live with the reality and to my expectation will disown all the culprits who are caught red handed. I hope they won’t do what PPP did with regard to Dr Asim’s case. PML-N will meanwhile keep trying to improve its popularity on ground by economic stunts like heavy borrowing to mark its presence among the masses. The bondage between PML-N and PPP will keep going as long as Mr Zardari is in the driving seat of his party. The young and inexperienced Bilawal might turn the flow in the opposite direction but as yet that’s too distant a scenario.

Q: Once again your party is threatening protests if its demands are not met. Some people say this shows you haven’t learned any lessons from the last dharna. Your comments please?

SA: Protests and dharnas are the choices of a truly popular political party that believes in democratic values. The previous dharna had greatly contributed in enhancing the political consciousness of our people. It also helped PTI take the message of Imran Khan to every single citizen of Pakistan. Nevertheless, the questions raised by PTI have widely remained unanswered. For instance Nawaz Sharif has not responded to our questions with regards to his own money invested in the west while he pleads Pakistan’s case for bringing in foreign investment.

The purpose or expected outcome of a dharna is therefore not associated with any immediate political outcome, rather it entrenches basic principles of democracy, which declare the people of a country as real masters of their fate. We try to lift the political understanding of the people at large, and to make them aware of their deprived rights. The loot and plunder by the ruling elite under the authority given by the people has to be brought into the knowledge of the people. We in PTI will keep playing the role of a strong, active and aware opposition and dharna is one of the choices for us. We will exercise this democratic right as and when needed.

Q: Your party recently approached China regarding CPEC concerns. How did Beijing respond?

SA: Yes, PTI has recently approached the Chinese leadership to remove some misunderstanding about our views over CPEC. A new beginning was made last week as PTI Chairman Imran Khan and Chinese ambassador Sun Weidong had a detailed discussion over CPEC and vowed to work together to make it a win-win affair.

It was for the first time that the leadership of China and PTI had a threadbare discussion over the game changing CPEC initiative. The Chinese leadership was apprised about the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government’s reservations pertaining to the western rout controversy.

The PTI chairman vowed to fully back CPEC, calling it a game-changing initiative for Pakistan’s people and the entire region. This meeting was a result of my interactions with the top leadership of the Communist Party of China during my recent visit to Beijing. Ambassador Sun extended an invitation to Imran Khan to visit China, which was accepted by Khan and Chief Minister KP Pervez Khattak. PTI plans to bring Chinese investment for KP, especially in the field of hydro power projects.

Imran Khan told the ambassador that across-the-board in Pakistan there is a special love and affection for the people of China and all the people attached great expectations with CPEC, hoping that it would further cement relations between the ‘all weather friends’.

The Chinese government has also promised to provide assistance to livelihood projects and the reconstruction efforts in FATA, which will help relieve the pressure of Temporary Displaced People’s (TDPs) rehabilitation.

The Chinese ambassador said China will provide assistance to improve people’s livelihood in KP, such as education, health, vocational training, etc. China would also provide assistance to Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre to help improve its capacity, which is a sign that China is committed to help KP government serve its people.