Sajjad Ahmad Khan
The trouble with Imran Khan is that he is a very good sportsman, but unfortunately, not a good politician
Let me start it with an instant apology. Our politicians are blind and deaf. Isn’t enough? It is enough. But for those who have the slightest sense of shame. Our country is suffering from many diseases, but no catholicon is available with these political sages. Even if there is a restorative, it is of no use; because one had better go without medicine than calling in a callow physian. Our so-called politicians touch the extremes of selfishness and apathy. In electoral campaign our politicians, with their heads bowed, go to the slums but after taking over the reins of the power they feel nauseation with the have-nots. Self-interest always sways on their nerves. Without any qualms, they may fall to the bottommost rank for their personal gains.
It is really easy for them to auction off their conscience for mundanely benefits. Our leaders are unable to see what is happening around and which way is the country leading to? The country has become a ship without a sailor. Our politicians cannot read the writing on the wall, nor do they understand the gravity of the situation. When nations are in crisis, real leadership acts as a redeemer and rescuer. There are many bright examples in the history of how the leaders pushed the sinking ship across the shore. A real leader turned the country’s darkness into light with the aid of leadership skills. A visionary leader can make the nation self-sufficient by freeing it from the cycle of poverty and slavery. There are examples in history of leaders who came up with an ideology and later put their nations in the mould of self-reliance.
The majority of politicians in Pakistan belong to the feudal class and their way of thinking is authoritarian. In the eyes of a feudal superior, his farmer is like an insect which he can easily triturate. The economically weak peasant community cannot freely express its will in the democratic process. The prognostic importance of voting, in a political system, is always beyond the ken of a poor peasant. Politicians beg for vote to reach the power corridors, but later consider their voters inferior. They have no interest in solving the problems of the people but get caught up in the cycle of increasing their assets. Pakistani politicians are fighting for power and manipulate different institutions to take revenge on each other. Important national issues are not discussed. This indifferent attitude of politicians has badly dinted the development of a common framework for political action. Their (politicians) mutual bickering are affecting the principles and values of the constitution and democracy. The ruling elites of Pakistan failed to lay the foundation of true democracy and promoted the politics of electable. Changing loyalties for the sake of vested interests is considered so normal and business of the day. Due to declining political values, the stature of political leaders in Pakistan has lost its place in the eyes of the people. Not a single political leader has emerged as the voice of the majority in all four provinces.
The ‘germs of heredity’ have garrotted the democratic spirit within political parties. This is a chink in our political armour that inveigles unelected institutions like the military to enter politics. The basis of Pakistani politics is heredity or money. The rich are always welcomed at the gates of politics and are also given tickets in their favourite constituencies. Ideological workers call such people parachutists. In Pakistan, politics has become the legacy of a few families. It seems that this state is the estate of their ancestors and they can do whatever they want with this country. All political parties have forgotten their true purpose and that is why their leaders are nothing more than puppets. The structure and style of political parties is undemocratic. We exaggerate the party leaders beyond their real personalities. We develop an emotional attachment to our leaders so that we do not see their flaws. It saddens me to see intellectuals with their hands tied in front of a mediocre leader. That is why politics enters a dead end. Development work stops. Here the demagogues play with the emotions of the gullible masses. It is an example that how personality cult dominates our politics.
In fact, we inherited a weak democratic structure. Historically talking, the British needed a strong army and bureaucracy to crush the liberation movements and to run their clerical system through bureaucrats. Promoting democracy and political values had never been the focus of the British government. It was not the main objective of the British rulers to develop the moral and material capabilities of the Indians but to use the available resources for their own interests. Unfortunately, after gaining independence Pakistan got weak and diseased political institutions. The first major blow to democracy came after the death of the founder of Pakistan, when Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan was assassinated. And once again democracy was strangled when Fatima Jinnah was defeated in the election. There are many other instances where the roots of democracy have been soaked with acid. As a result, Pakistan was badly caught in the whirlpool of leadership crisis and is still mired in the same undertow. We should remember that it is the best leadership in a country that guarantees national unity. When the leadership rusts, the boat of national unity is badly damaged. And then that nation gets lost in the darkness of defeat. Access to state’s resources should not be goal of political parties but to serve the country. Let me end it by quoting a famous saying , “The most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born- that there is a genetic factor to leadership. That’s nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true. Leaders are made rather than born”.
