The Tsunami of Change

Before I begin writing this article, I must clarify, that the article below was not meant to offend anyone; I respect each and every individual’s right to have their own opinion, and their freedom of expression and association. The article also contains quoted statements and remarks of other individuals, whose opinions I neither endorse nor denounce.

In troubled times, the fearful and naïve are always drawn to charismatic radicals.

This strong, wise saying has stood the test many a times. People are, in difficult times, in a dire need of change: yes, just change, not giving though to the type and consequences and repercussions of such a change; the more radicals the change seems, the more attractive it is.

Adolf Hitler, Vladimir Lenin and Barrack Hussein Obama all called out change to come to power, and indeed those were difficult times for those nations; I wouldn’t go on with history lessons here.

I’d rather talk about the “Tsunami of Change” that the PTI called out for when they were contesting the 2013 General Elections, the elections which brought them to power in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The PTI made tall claims to end corruption and terrorism in Pakistan: now of course the party may have come up with excellent excuse for the failure. Let’s look into these in more details.

Let’s be honest, PTI is not the liberal, vibrant, all-embracing party that many believe it to be and what it partially portrays itself to be. It is a fundamentalist party, or rather a confused fundamentalist party, who favor talks with the Taliban, to such an extreme, that the party failed to condemn acts of terrorism which claimed the lives of its own lawmakers and ministers. Ironic, but true.

The PTI Chief Imran Khan had claimed that they would end corruption in the entire country within 19 days and terrorism within 90 days of coming to power . After coming to power in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mr. Perwaiz Khattak, the PTI’s chief minister of the province stated that cancer of corruption would be eliminated in 30 days. The people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are yet to see this promise turn to reality. Tall claims, yet no actions.

I had earlier written about the PTI chief’s demand to the then PM-elect to either have US drone strikes stopped or shoot down the drones. This has come in as a handy excuse: the PTI claims that these drone strikes are the reasons for failure for the establishment of peace in the province, and comes as a response to terrorist activities, which claim innocent, precious human lives, and the lives of PTI ministers and law makers.

Still No Condemination of Today's Bomb Blast in Peshawar by #PK nd #IK. Shame on PTI.

— Zulfiqar Ansari (@ZulfiqarAnsari) November 4, 2013

Another blast in #Peshawar another #PTI govt failure. More you apologetic to Taliban more you see these blasts. #ImranKhan #TalibanKhan

— Fawad Rehman (@fawadrehman) October 7, 2013

The Peshawar Carnage, other terrorist attacks which kill innocent civilians, and terrorist attacks on the Pakistani Armed Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies, all haven’t deterred the PTI chief’s determination to conduct peace talks with the banned terrorist organizations. As I had stated earlier, I see no distinction between this act and a sheer act of treason against the state of Pakistan. His determination is so strong, that he even stated that the TTP should be allowed to open up an office, for the purpose of the talks.

The backlash again this statement was so strong, that people went on to say that Imran Khan’s house is more or less an office of the TTP, and that the PTI itself is a political wing of the TTP and, I, too stated that the PTI is the TTP’s political apologist.

Ik shud offer CM house KPK as 1st office of ban TTP , zaman park 2nd and mianwali 3rd plus provide security to TTP offices wow wat a vision

— Beenish Saleem (@BeenishSaleem) September 25, 2013

Dude, I think the Taliban should be allowed to have their own office. Right in IK's house if he wants it so badly @immiemalik @francescam63

— Bina Shah (@BinaShah) September 26, 2013

When a US Drone strike killed the TTP chief Hakimullah Mehsud, a notorious cold-blooded terrorist, who proudly claimed killing thousands of innocent Pakistanis, the PTI went haywire. They, it seemed, had lost a comrade. The PTI chief Imran Khan, and the party’s leadership and government of the province went on to blame the United States for all of Pakistan’s troubles and said that they wouldn’t allow NATO supply trucks to pass through Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, even if they had to loose their government for that. The reaction of the people become even more extreme:

Imran Khan/#PTI wasnt this furious when a Maj,General of Pak Army was martyred by those bastards of #TTP. Bloody Loser, terrorist apologist!

— Umer (@Umer_Rpk) November 2, 2013

PTI/apologist logic –> Hakeemulllah whose bombers and fighters killed thousands of Pakistanis died for peace because he wanted dialogue

— omar r quraishi (@omar_quraishi) November 1, 2013

Hakeem Ullah #Mehsood Ki Halakat Pr Itna Dukh Khud Taliban Ko Nahi Hoa
Jitna Hamari Hakomat Or ImranKhan (PTI) Ko Hoa#TalibanNawazian

— Sughra Foundation GB (@SughraF_GB) November 5, 2013

Its better to be a fake liberal than to be a confused Taliban apologist#Taliban #PTI

— St. Pyro (@fyremi) November 3, 2013

It now appears that the PTI may soon have to loose their government, if not because of their blockade of the supply routes, then definitely in the elections, due to angry and disillusioned Pakistanis who once had jumped into their bandwagon of “Change”. This is the beauty of democracy.

The reason for Pakistan’s problems, says PTI, is not the Taliban, or illiteracy, or power shortage, or natural resource depletion, or poor healthcare, or poverty, or lack of welfare, but the very fact that the United States is giving aid to Pakistan to overcome the above mentioned problems that the country faces. They go on to say that the War on Terror is not our war and that the Taliban, actually an amalgamation of Pakistani and foreign rebels, are considered by the PTI as our people, who are being targeted by Pakistani military who are fighting America’s war on terror. I sincerely hope the PTI leadership soon realizes that the tens of thousands of people who die in Taliban’s attacks are Pakistani and not American, and killing a human being is inhumane and barbaric regardless of the victim’s race, sex, ethnicity, nationality or cultural identity; and that a terrorist is a terrorist, whether they be Pakistani or foreign nationals.

In his speech on the anniversary of the TTP’s Karsaz Attack on Benazir Bhutto’s homecoming, the PPP chief, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari stated his party would help the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa get rid of the “tsunami” –  the PTI’s election call. It appears that all political parties are feasting on the shortcomings of the PTI government.

Another change the PTI has brought about on Twitter is that the freedom of speech is now quite restricted: “PTI Trolls” are quite famous on the social media, these are those who harass people ‘daring’ to speak out against the PTI point of view, or those who speak out on the folly and policies of the party or its fundamental ideology.

I had read the opinion of a fellow blogger, they stated that the PTI’s policies, although bold and innovative, which promotes home based small industries, and community based healthcare and education, but are actually practically impossible to implement, and if the PTI, by some miracle, achieves this, it will cement their victory in the next elections.

This however, is not in sight in the near, foreseeable future.

Whether the PTI succeeds in its stated aims and objectives is another story, but what the party has succeeded in is exposing the true face of the Taliban, increasing the hatred for the Taliban in Pakistan and for every fundamentalist politico-religious party including the PTI, and alienating many of the people who voted for them in the 2013 General Elections.

@fawadchaudhry PTI is over

— Masood (@bestway2Masood) November 5, 2013

https://twitter.com/hasnainzafar/status/397602311520149504