Is Imran Khan the new hope!?

By

Syed Ali Mehdi

Today we face a crisis. A crisis in politics. A crisis in economics. A crisis in society itself. We are so buried in the depths of despair, salvation, it seems, is nigh impossible. You wonder is this our fate? Should we not be doing something? It seems we have three options: First, We can submit to the oppression and injustices that we face and continue to suffer in the crisis. Second, we can introduce a temporary solution, but it must be acknowledged that our problems are so deep rooted and the society so corrupt, a temporary change will not help us anymore. Third, a revolution, which will not only solve our problems but the problems of many other nations as well.  

Throughout history, only four nations have brought about a revolution and what they have in common is a leader, who is not a person, not an individual but something far greater, an ideology, a phenomenon, a legend. An individual can be bribed, bullied and killed but an ideology lives forever and has the magnificent power of changing the world. We only need to look at legends like, Vladimir Lenin, Mao Zedong and Ayatollah Khomeini and ask ourselves: Is Imran khan at par with these legends? Does he have the qualities of these leader and we can easily deduce if Imran Khan is indeed a genuine new hope or not? Can he indeed salvage us from the atrocities we face?

A great leader has three distinct qualities, unique in nature, and so powerful they can overcome any barrier. First, he stands for an ideology and believes in it with all his heart and soul, and never ever deviates from it. Second, a leader is not a follower, he commands the nation like a general he does not follow the people but the people follow him. He does what needs to be done regardless of admiration and personal achievements. Third, the misery of every man in the nation is compacted and absorbed by the leader, as if the leader and the nation are one and the same. If the people have no electricity he will have no electricity, if the people are facing starvation he will face starvation too and if the children of the nation are dying his children will die too

Imran khan has the education of a graduate and that too with mediocre grades. Without specialized academic background of any ideology he cannot possibly hope to provide the nation with a philosophy. He himself is a man without principle. His political ideas and affiliations have changed so much that, Declan Walsh in the guardian newspaper describes Imran khan as a “miserable politician” and observes “Khan's ideas and affiliations since entering politics in 1996 have swerved and skidded like a rickshaw in a rain shower... He preaches democracy one day but gives a vote to reactionary mullahs the next”. The fact that Imran Khan became one of the most vocal opposition of President Musharraf after supporting his military takeover in 1999 proves that the man lacks in ideology and philosophy.

A true leader can do what is right regardless of the public support that he gets, because he believes in his ideals and philosophy. He can make tough decisions and so direct the public towards that one goal irrespective of their reaction. Imran khan is indecisive and incapable of making tough decision. His existence as a political figure is based on the public support he can gather because he has little else to offer, hence, his indecisiveness. In his rallies, proven terrorist groups appear with their flags and he does not have the courage to acknowledge that these terrorist are eating the country like termites and to atleast criticize them. He hides Machiavellianism behind popular slogans. He says what the public wants him to say; he does what the public wants him to do but, does not do what is right. A person who’s political philosophy is to fulfill the popular demand can never hope to bring about a radical change. It is easy to provide imaginary satisfaction through eloquence and popular slogans, but to change the destiny of a nation; one requires the patience of a mother, the courage of a lion and the wisdom of a philosopher.

The leader needs to make sacrifices, in Pakistan it is the other way round. While the people sacrifice their families and their wealth the leader goes round the world enjoying himself. Why is it that the people on whose names so many have sacrificed so much make hardly any sacrifices at all? Imran Khan while rallying speaks so vocally in the support of ordinary people, but he has never encountered the problems faced by the common man. While the people live in horrendous conditions he lives in his plush home in mountainous and luxurious area of Islamabad. While the common men struggles for food he parties in the west. Why not live like the common man, like Gandhi? Has anyone from his family died? While his party workers sacrifice their lives and their families for his name, he protects his family by sending them to England. While the people suffer in floods all he can do is visit the area once and call for support. Why not work for them? Why not work with them? Why not share their sufferings?

The fact is Imran khan cares little for the people; He is not sincere to the nation or to the ideas he says, he values. All he wants is popularity and power if not wealth. No one can deny that Imran is indeed a national hero; he delivered one of Pakistan’s proudest moment when he lifted the world cup in 92. No one can deny that he is indeed a great philanthropist, as his hospital Shaukat Khanum memorial hospital, is certainly a great hospital. What he is not, is a leader that can bring about a radical change. What Pakistan needs at this point is not a cricketer, not a philanthropist but a leader, a leader in the ranks of Khomeini and Lenin. A leader that can deliver not a change of government but the change of ideology, the change of society. Someone who can deliver, a Revolution.