Imran Khan Remains Untouchable and Immune By Saeed Qureshi

Imran Khan Remains Untouchable and Immune

By Saeed Qureshi

By all indications, it is becoming evident that Imran Khan, the Chairman of the Pakistan Tehrik-e- Insaf (PTI)would have the singular exception and distinction not to be touched or troubled by the judiciary and coercive apparatus of either armed forces or the civilian set-up. The pre-elections (to be held on July 25 instant) campaigning and electioneering have been interjected and waylaid by the courts in case of PMNL, PWP and even PPP. The PTI leaders including Chairman Imran Khan are free to canvass and castigate their rivals to their hearts’ fill. 

Ever-since the formation of his own political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in 1996, Imran Khan’s posture in the political arena of Pakistan has been condemnatory, abusive and aggressive. One can recall the Dharnas (sits in Islamabad) and barging into the PTV headquarters in Islamabad and various government offices by the charged workers of PTI, Imran Khan never looked back and kept advancing like a cavalier with a sword of invectives and abuses all along.

His onslaught has been lethal and personally accusative against the heads of the political parties with particular focus on Nawaz Sharif and his family members. The politics and agitation through “Dharnas” were later replaced with more sober style in which he would paint the founders and heads of the political parties as embodiment of all the vices and usurpers of the national wealth and who kept Pakistan poor and financially backward.

Initially Mr. Khan lacked the skill of public oration. Yet of late, he can be rated as one of the most aggressive speakers moving his listeners and audiences. His audience are mostly the young generation of Pakistan and are the hallmark and backbone of his political strength and the high level political popularity and hullabaloo.

Since the formation of the fourth PMNL government in 2013, Imran Khan can be rated as one of the most aggressive, ferocious and venomous political opponents of Mian Nawaz Sharif, his clan and cohorts. One may gauge that in the downfall of Nawaz Sharif and his disqualification as the prime minister of Pakistan and subsequent humiliations including judicial activism, can be partly or wholly attributed to the unstinted and diabolic onslaughts of Imran Khan.

The epitaphs, slangs and terms, that he has been using against Nawaz Sharif, can be termed as quite degrading and rather abusive. He seems to be the master of ridicule, jest and condemnation for his political contenders. But such most sleazy name name-calling and accusations have been reserved for Nawaz Sharif, his party associates and the family members.  

On the other side of the political spectrum of Pakistan, several legal cases of ill-gotten money and enhancement of wealth by dubious and questionable means is the most outstanding weapon of Mr. Khan against both Nawaz Sharif, Zardari, Maulana Fazal-Ur-Rahman and other targets.

Imran Khan himself came under the accusations of moral turpitude by a few females. Reham Khan, one of his former wives alleged that he was leading an immoral life with unethical sexual propensity on top. Reham Khan beside Gulalai, publicly accused him as a kind of sexual brute and devoid of basic etiquettes in pursuit of his sexual urges. She has written a book (published today and available) that has negatively impacted against Imran Khan.  

However, it cannot make a ruinous dent into his popularity level that he enjoys with his followers and sympathizers. Even the religious right, preachers and moralists who jump to condemnations and heap divine curse on immorality and immoral people are low lying and evasive. 

On the contrary his followers and supporters mostly, young population (both male and female) believe that he was the only political leader and icon who possesses the guts and character to rid Pakistan and its people of a culture of financial corruption, bad governance, poverty, and institutional breakdown.

It is a blatant question that stares in our faces that why PTI couldn’t produce miracles or overall uplift in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province where it has its government since May 31, 2013 with Pervez Khattak as the chief minister. If PTI didn’t do well in public welfare, civic galore, infrastructure, roads, judicial system, education and societal peace, then how can it bridle, overcome and eliminate countless bottlenecks that keep the state of Pakistan dysfunctional, its people poor, backward and caught up in a gridlock of socio- civic, economic, institutional, educational problems, as well as provincial disparity.

The clichés of Imran Khan are spicy for the people but degrading for the political contenders. No inquiry for his asserts or moral deviations have been taken up by the judiciary or filed by a political or social or public leader in the courts. The soumoto actions by the judiciary, JIT and NAB and the superior courts are for other politicians and not for Imran Khan. However, those leaders who have become the target of his sinister accusation, contemptuous and mocking portrayal, could have approached the courts and pursued legal actions against him as well for possessing a property and wealth of almost 15 million dollars ( Wikipedia)  It shows that these leaders don’t want to provoke him further for a more ferocious and degrading retaliation from him.

For instance, he demonstrated in his latest unsurpassed foul mouthing skill by saying that how a dacoit (Nawaz Sharif) can seek warm welcome. He called Nawaz Sharif a donkey and those Pakistanis and his party workers going at the airport for their leader’s reception as a whole lot of donkeys. It is a blatant vulgarity that cannot be condoned or justified by any stretch of imagination.

The writer is a senior journalist, former editor of Diplomatic Times and a former diplomat.

This and other articles by the writer can also be read at his blog www.uprightopinion.com

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