Shahzad Memon
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan has announced Jail Bharo Tehreek to keep the blood of his voters warm, Undoubtedly, Imran Khan is a tireless leader but If he had spent his unparalleled energies on positive politics, a role model political party would have come into existence in Pakistan today.
Unfortunately, the traditions that Imran Khan is establishing in politics cannot be called positive, purposeful and productive, his 126-day long sit-in, announcement of civil disobedience movement, public rallies and long marches have never been a healthy traditions in Pakistan’s democratic politics. This stunts and wrong endeavours have not been able to establish good and memorable traditions and have not been able to standardize the politics and democracy of Pakistan.
Tehreek-e-Insaaf has been spending millions of rupees on political activities, although politics should be cleansed from the influence of capital so that the educated youth of Pakistan with less resources can join practical politics but in PTI there has been a culture that if you are part of the elite club and have good ammount in your pocket then you are supposed to be sitting close to Imran khan and you don’t need anything to sacrifice. But if you are an ordinary worker then you are a fooder for Imran’s politics thus to avoid Imran khan’s arrest, PTI is using the youth and women of their party as shields and preventing the constitutional and legal functioning of the state, that is also a sad political tradition. But contrary to this they are raising slogans of Jail Bharoo Tehreek. Though they are destined to take Uturn on it. As history suggests that Imran Khan has never taken any right stand at any right time.
Even by resigning from the National Assembly and dissolving the assemblies of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Imran Khan did not make a decision based on political insight – in 1977, when General Ziaul Haq overthrew the elected government and imposed martial law and jailed the popula leader Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. A meeting of PPP officials was held in Lahore under the chairmanship of Begum Nusrat Bhutto, in which it was decided to launch a resistance protest movement by giving arrests for the abolition of martial law and restoration of democracy.
The Pakistan People’s Party stalwarts offered a large number of voluntary arrests. This decision was in accordance with political and democratic principles, so wherever the stalwarts came for giving their arrests, there would have been a public outcry against Ziaulhaq’s martiallaw. The main purpose of the arrest of the PPP stalwarts was to send a message to the workers all over Pakistan that the PPP has started a movement to end martial law and restore democracy, to present an arrest at that time was against the rules of martial law. It was a violation, so the government used to arrest those who offered arrest.
After the arrest of a large number of PPP workers, other officials and workers of the party also started giving arrests as part of Jail Bharoo tehreek, which made General Zia-ul-Haq and his associates worried because they did not expect that the PPP men would have such courage. and would boldly challenge martial law – General Zia-ul-Haq decided to crush the movement and began flogging activists who submitted to arrest, Thousands of political activists were imprisoned during the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy (MRD).Thousands of political activists endured imprisonment during the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy.
In the history of the Indian subcontinent, Gandhi also started the Jail Bharo tehreek, the aim of which was to gain freedom from the British and to create enthusiasm in the freedom movement and increase public pressure on the British. For the purpose – whenever Imran Khan announces any political activity, he often fails to provide political and democratic justification for it, his Jail Bharoo tehreek is also unjustified because according to the constitution, the general elections are scheduled to be held in October 2023 while Imran Khan wants to hold the assembly elections of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa before the general elections.
If analyzed impartially, this is also not a good tradition, because if Imran Khan’s wish is followed, two elections will have to be held in a year, which Pakistan cannot afford economically. Nothing can be said with certainty about how far Tehreek-e-Insaaf will be able to succeed and if the government takes Tehreek-e-Insaaf workers to a remote place after arresting them, then what tactics will Tehreek-e-Insaaf use as non of the PTI worker has courage to spend a day in Much Jail of Balochistan and imagine if Imran Khan and anyone else is put there for a day.
But no government can be forced to arrest a citizen whenever he offers to arrest him for a political purpose, Imran Khan has decided to consult constitutional and legal experts in this regard. And it should be hoped that the constitutional and law experts will give some better advice to Imran Khan.
Imran Khan is now a seasoned politician and his popularity is also high so the people of Pakistan expect him to set positive happy and memorable traditions in the democratic politics of Pakistan but sadly the political activities of Tehreek-e-Insaaf are increasing chaos, hatred, anger and revenge in Pakistan. Political instability in Pakistan is in no way compatible with Pakistan’s security requirements.
It is the duty of the senior leaders of Tehreek-e-Insaaf to give advice to Imran Khan that is in the wider interest of the people of Pakistan and future generations. A practical demonstration should be made, Imran Khan should come towards positive democratic activities instead of negative political activities that create chaos. PTI’s political history is witness that sacrifices are taken from the workers but only the political elite and Imran’s ATMs eats the fruits of their sacrifices. Imran khan and Asad Umar should come forward and present their arrest, if they are truly interested in Jail Bharoo Tehreek, else stop playing with sentiment of workers and making them fooder of your politics.
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