Pre-election political scene

Monday, February 13, 2012 - It is quite sensible of the regime to understand that it should go for General Elections , as it has become controversial, and if necessary, to go for elections just a bit before their five years tenure expires. People want a change and sooner if possible, judging from the unusually large crowds that go to hear Imran Khan and even Maulana Fazlur Rehman and others- as if thy are in search of a credible future leader. I am not including Nawaz Sharif in this list because he is already a crowd catcher and when large crowds come to listen to him, it is normal, although crowds coming to hear him are also growing larger. It can be said that fate of the outcome of the elections will be decided by Punjab. The presence of large crowds in the meeting of the leader is not so much an indication of which leader appeals to them as of the desire to hold elections as early as possible .Although there are people who would like the regime to stay full five years so that the list of their failures grow thicker and reduce very much their chances to return to power in the elections..

It is clear that so far three persons have been able to emerge as greatest crowd catchers, Imran Khan, Maulnana Fazlur Rehman and Nawaz Sharif. Till yesterday Imran Khan was a leader struggling to reach the position of a national leader. Now he is a national leader. Imran Khan is no longer a minor political leader. He has risen in stature very much , so much that it seems that he might cross swords at the next elections with Nawaz Sharif and possibly the contest for national leadership will be between him and Nawaz Sharif so much so that it cannot be ruled out that PPP might be the gainer from this situation. He would in all likelihood eat up on Nawaz Sharif’s votes in Punjab. Imran is emphasizing on the prevalence of corruption in the country which has become the number one problem under PPP rule, for the general impression is that corruption has become a national cancer under PPP rule as it was not before. In fact PPP’s one draw back is that it never bothers about the principles but only about how to get power by hook or crock. Power, neither good government, nor propriety, nor law nor morality is what PPP worries about ,. Their opposition leaders do not inspire confidence. They look and act like gang leaders Not a word is spoken by them that appeals to the intellect In fact there are not many “leaders “ in PPP, they are more nominees and a bunch of self seeking politicos. Some of their “spokesmen”, or “spokeswomen” make such jugglary of words that their claims lose any credibility. In Talk Shows they are too harsh on the ears and more on intellect and do not create an impression of well mannered people. PPP seems to have become an adept in the style of propaganda which is now discarded . Loud mouthed self praise and claims of exaggerated successes and employing Agha Hashar Kashmiri’s dialogues in their political statements is least impressive. This art of basing a claim on half truths went out of fashion with the exit of Gobbles or Communist propagandists- May be that was the cause of decline of Communism once on wave among the masses and the youth. The fighting cocks like performance in TV talk Shows does no credit to any one. Too heavily loaded propaganda is its own defeat.

Not that there are no politicians in the PPP who do not inspire r espect or are convincing, or lack – to name a few , people like Makhdom Fahim, Manzoor Wassan, even Chandio, and the one who does not come in the public like Farhatullah Babur every inch a man of integrity and propriety – but foremost Chairmn of the Senate Naek who is a modicum of a cultured gentleman . So it is not that there is total lack of persons who can carry weight with the public just by their decency.

There is in any case no leader in stature of Nawaz Sharif or Imran Khan or even Maulana Fazlur Rehman as man of the masses. None the less it need be said that Imran Khan will not fare well in Sindh, and in Karachi Altaf Hussain’s MQM is now a branch of Zardari’s PPP. Imran Khan would be able to get the votes of Pakhtuns . If any body will be able to get votes of some magnitude in Sindh it is possible that Nawaz Sharif might get a few seats there

Therefore Imran’s popularity may in fact help PPP by dividing Nawaz Sharif’s vote bank. It cannot be ruled out that Imran will damage Nawaz Sharif vote bank That Imran emerge as the sole winner in the elections is highly doubtful. This is where PPP stands to win the elections.

Nawaz Sharif is the only seasoned leader who has some unique qualities which none have. He has not used abusive or invective-full language against any leader and refrains attacking them which has given mileage to Imran’s attack on him as B team of Zardari. This is not correct however. Nawaz Sharif is the only patriotic leader in th field according to many I have spoken. Had he not been the PM when India explodd its N-bomb, and were there to be a PPP government in power then, in all likelihood it would not have explodd the N-bomb and let India become the sole N-power in the region . The charge of corruption by the indirect logic that he owned only some crores of industries when he came to power is not valid as this is a faulty reasoning . He was an industrialist before he came to politics and even in Saudi Arabia he was likely to set up some iron industry had he not come to Pakistan. Now let us take some examples from Japan All the big Japanese business in 1949 started from rudimentary state. Honda and Suzki as I remember from my days in Tokyo ( 1963-66) began their enterprise from a garage and became a famous manufacturer of motor bikes and later of automobiles bearing his name Suzuki.. It does not behove of a budding national leader like Imran Khan to argue that because Nawaz Sharif’s iron industry was so many crocres before he became a political figure of prominence therefore it should have remained at that stage through out. Nawaz Sharif is a genuine industrial. Nor Shahbaz Sharif is his reflected glory.

The best thing for Pakistan would be that Imran joined hands with Nawaz Sharif. Together they can turn the luck of our country. Imran is a promising star on national firmament , and both together can turn the fortune of Pakistan. Nawaz Sharif can become the President and Imran the Prime Minister. He is so far only a promising new political star but remains to be tried on the job . He has no experience of running Government which he needs to acquire on the job. He has no Manifesto although one would not question his intentions and gusto to change the country for its good. But for that he should consider alliance with Nawaz Sharif otherwise as things stand so far if the two capable leaders one tried and patriotic and experienced and the other full of guts and good intention to serve the nation but no experience will divide Punjab’s crucial vote and even though not intending , will let PPP win the elections. There is no leader as patriotic and experienced and capable of making Pakistan an industrial giant as Nawaz Sharif. And hardly any with such pious intentions as Imran Khan and so bubbling with energy to help bring a change for the good in Pakistan as Shahbaz Sharif. After all, Imran today stands with a group of well grounded politicians who had been in the Government with much less achievements to their credit and were with Nawaz Sharif.