The Asian Tiger that we were supposed to be are more closer in look to an embarrassed tiger, whose tail hides between its legs.

There is an Aesop’s fable oft quoted in the US political arena; “ an Ass ( as in Donkey) having put on the Lion’s skin, roamed about in the Forest, and amused himself by frightening all the foolish Animals he met in his wanderings “.

While researching on who can defeat a tiger? I came across, the Dhole which is a wild dog living in the Asian continent, the Crocodile, a brown Bear can maul any tiger, but the best was the observation that, “humans are the biggest threat to Tigers”. If the 230-odd million people that inhabit this blessed land are humans, what will happen to our Tiger? ‘Advantage Imran Khan’.

The threat to resign en masse from two provincial assemblies had no effect on PDM; they were busy in forming a cabinet of over 90: full ministers, state ministers, advisors, SAPMs; the demands of its constituents were accommodated, but the meeting rooms were not so commodious , so selective meetings became the order of the day. IK is not amused. Linesmen declare, “Advantage PDM”.

IK bowls yorkers with accuracy–I

Imran Khan being the initiator and proponent of neutral and third umpires never lost faith in the referee’s call even if there were incidents of lack of oversight to some of the aces from the opposition that landed on the lines.

He kept insisting that he would resign. Here the opposition saw an opportunity —they egged him to execute what they thought was a hollow threat. The streak of competitiveness in Imran Khan made him throw his gauntlets as he stood deceived.

Naivety of hope got the better of Khan. The opposition celebrated his walking into his own booby trap, and with the resultant “tamed opposition”, they formed the friendly caretaker governments in both provinces. “Advantage PDM,” roared the umpire.

Here, Imran Khan forgot the essentials of politics: “Magnanimity in politics is not seldom the truest wisdom...!”(Edmund Burke). In politics no one is killed once only, but multiple times. This scribe invites Imran Khan to the basic definition of politics as mentioned in the Devil’s Dictionary (1881-1911): ‘A strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles’.

Writing the Minority Report 1956, H.L. Mencken had stated therein, “ Under Democracy one party ( read thirteen here) always devotes its chief energies to trying to prove that the other party ( Read Tehrik) is unfit to rule— and both commonly succeed, and are right”.

In pursuance of this thought, enough number of cases were registered whereupon legal notices continue to be served on him. For the last many months, he has made tours to several courts in several cities (post retirement, he can write a travelogue, covering his experiences). He is being kept away from electioneering; “Advantage PDM”, the referees agree.

Since Imran Khan played only cricket, which until recently was considered a ‘ gentleman’s game’ at least till he played that’s the way it was, hence failed to recognise that in the political arena there is very little room for ‘gentlemanliness’. Even cricket today is hardly a gentleman’s game. In fact what has gentlemanliness got to do with principles, scruples, ideology, etc.!

Imran Khan was continuously playing outside the crease, being a combative cricketer, and suddenly he got stumped to a very wide ball that escaped the cameras—the election date was advanced to the month of October.

This month has no ides attached to it, but in Pakistan’s context, October has been a month heralding pleasant and not too pleasant incidents in its history. Since anything and everything is being done within the legal ambit (as dubious as it may sound), the referees were compelled to say: “Advantage PDM”.

(Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday declared as “unconstitutional” the Election Commission of Pakistan’s decision to postpone elections in Punjab, fixing May 14 as the new date for elections in the province).

Imran Khan must know that persistence or obstinacy makes no friendship with politics just as truth has no relationship with politics. Malleability is a first trait a leader must possess to stand for the rights of the followers. Personally, I admire IK’s U- turns. He shouldn’t be criticised for taking U-turns; even Napoleon and later Z.A. Bhutto had said, ‘consistency is a virtue of small minds’. The ability to change own opinion is a sign of becoming a good politician.

Hence in the narrative build-up, “Advantage Imran Khan”.

While our many foxy politicians subscribe to the view that politics is the art of the possible, Professor Kenneth Galbraith refutes it by asserting that it consists in choosing between disastrous and the unpalatable. PDM by character and behaviour of its diverse constituents is both the former and the later.

Imran Khan has learnt hopefully the most significant political lesson of his life, that winning an election is easier, but governing the State is the most difficult task.

The Greek tragedy of this political conundrum is that the motley crowd of thirteen genuinely believes that it can fool all the people all the time.

PDM leadership must know that revenge is not sweet; it is bitter as hell and should this thought prevail all through the elections, they can lose sight( which by actions they already are) of everything—fighting fire with fire is not Imran Khan’s take. He has remained non- violent: “Advantage Imran Khan”.

Walter Lippmann in his well acknowledged work, The Public Philosophy, writes, “Successful democratic politicians are insecure and intimidated men. They advance politically only as they placate, appease, bribe, seduce, bamboozle, or otherwise manage to manipulate demanding and threatening elements in their constituencies.”

In 1955, when this thought now as created, there was no sign of PNA (1977) or the PDM with such definition, Imran Khan has ‘aced’ the opposition. Political thought and ideology is to think beyond ‘ principles ‘. The ability to transcend into illegality is perceived as political skill, ability and power. The indefensible is being defended by the government. Imran Khan lacks these traits, and hence, the line judges say, “Advantage Imran Khan”.

The retrospective gloom that hangs in the air of the last twelve months is a consequence of mishandling all portfolios of the economy and the state, which gives “Advantage to Imran Khan”.

Imran has mass appeal. He is fighting a lone battle against corruption and the corrupt political practices. And that’s where he becomes the “Hope”. In not allowing future to take birth is the worst form of fascism.

By way of semantics (that is a very respectable beginning to point out the language used by the ‘ ladies’) an attempt is made to ‘ render vice as serviceable to the cause of virtue’. The veneer is so thin— it exposes, the crude, ugly and deformed inside of the thought process. The referee is forced to accept, “Advantage Imran Khan”

With the elections on the anvil (now, later or even much later), the Awam (people), whom I have respectfully referred to as referees, umpires, linesmen, etc, have already adjudged, “Advantage Imran Khan.”

On the political chessboard, Imran Khan has to contend with the missing King, the self-coroneted queen; luckily he has no Bishops, Horses or Castles to deal with. They don’t exist in their ranks; the rest are hordes of pawns.

“Advantage Imran khan “. Politics is no single game of chess, there is life after checkmate, for IK has learnt that his attitude is the checkmate for all; like Ian Fleming, his motto has been “ Never say die” till the last ball has been bowled or played.

(Concluded)

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023