Islamabad—Imran Khan seems to have given up on parliamentary politics. Perhaps he thinks he does not have a chance in waiting for his term or he is working on some dubious inexplicable agenda—or, given his mercurial nature, he does not even understand what he is doing. For if he ever came to the Parliament it would be very difficult for him to explain his conduct and defend the precedents he is setting every day.

Friday brought a new low in our parliamentary history. PTI/PAT rogues have already closed entry and exit gates of the Parliament while the Senate and the National Assembly are in session. Everybody from parliamentarians to journalist to officials have to pass through a maze of virtual trenches littered with sand bags, barbed wires and layers of security checks. Journalists were stopped from taking their vehicles inside the Parliament. Rangers stopped us from taking our cars without explaining that why journalists were being singled out. Journalist Hamid Mir, who still has two bullets in his body, was forced to walk despite his medical condition. This was the first time ever that journalists were mistreated like this.

While some of our senior most members walked, it was painful to see a picnic of sorts happening across the fence. Music blared at full blast and ‘protesters’ relished biryani lunch boxes. Islamabad citizenry may be sick and tired of what they have to go through ( vote for Asad Omer!), Imran Khan enjoys his Mandela moments in his air-conditioned container—that is when is not taking a break at his mountain top villa. His partner in the mess, Tahirul Qadri feeds his political campaign from charity money, which should be immoral and perhaps illegal. We are told Imran deputed Aleem Khan to collected a million bucks from each member initially but the investment must have ballooned up. As Imran investigates electoral rigging, which includes campaign finance, somebody should also check who is funding the massive campaign and for what pound of flesh.

I had to escort a limping Hamid Mir for over a mile. So the journalists were justified in boycotting the parliamentary proceedings. Ironically, those who came to the Press Gallery to appease us, Pervaiz Rasheed and Ahsan Iqbal, were as much victim of the siege as we were. A resolution of condemnation, mentioning harassment of journalists by PTI workers, was passed but the Press corps was furious.

Imran Khan’s desecration of the Parliament is touching new limits and we just hope that he got the chance to read, while playing cricket at Oxford, what they did to Cromwell’s remains. Mahmood Khan Ackakzai almost suggested a Cromwellian solution when he said that “if the government can’t do something about it let us handle the rogue elements.” Let’s hope we do not get to see the spectacle of Achakzai tribesmen fighting PTI/PAT workers but Imran is inviting such trouble. The Parliament is not just about “Oaay Sharifo” as it houses political parties from across the country besides symbolizing the federation.

He can criticize the inmates of a state institution but he should not insult the institution. And this is precisely what he is doing in cahoots with his dubious evangelical partner who as a dual citizen is not even eligible to become a parliamentarian.

Imran may have mobilized his workers and brought the government on its knees and got most of his conditions accepted. The entertainment-starved youth loves to dance on PTI tunes but the more sober millions who are watching Imran’s rabble-rousing skills may change their opinion about Imran as a person. Nisar does have a point that Imran is not a man of his words(Nisar was decent enough not to call him a liar). He gave in writing that he would not cross the Red Zone and yet he violated his promise. Imran says that he would not want anything unconstitutional and yet half of his demands, including a government of technocrats and civil disobedience, not to forget his ‘fingering’ of the Umpire, do not fall in the domain of the Constitution. He proclaims himself as a Gandhian pacifist but is found issuing threats to policemen, bureaucrats and even the Prime Minister by addressing him obnoxiously as “Oaay Nawaz Sharif.” I am sure his cousin Majid Khan, who remains an iconic model of decency and gentle-manliness, must be embarrassed about Imran’s manners. In contrast, Imran is beginning to come across as an irresponsible, rabble-rouser who is out to destroy institutions instead of reforming them. He can still claim some gains out of his endeavour. After all, he got his party mobilized, shattered the arrogant and complacent attitude of the PML (N) government. More important, he brought the political discourse to serious issues as electoral reforms. But this might be the time to cut a deal by withdrawing from his unfair demand of PM’s resignation without proving the charges. Otherwise, there is a serious chance of him losing his gains.

The filing of the resignations at the National Assembly has geared up the end game. Once accepted, followed by a possible loss of the KP government, would push Imran Khan into a more desperate corner.

Ayaz Sadiq perhaps left for Lahore deliberately to gain time for the issue to be resolved. Until last reports came in Sheikh Rasheed had not submitted his resignation on the pretext that he would do it himself. Perhaps he fears that the PML (N) and PTI might just bury their hatchet but his resignation gets accepted. That’s called double jeopardy.

But if Imran chooses to take the aggressive course by not striking a deal, he is sure to be blamed for everything that might go wrong. We are told that a Saraiki non-elected advisor is the mean reason for Imran’s intransigence. He is believed to have given him impression, mentioning some dubious connections that Imran might be able to pull off if he stayed put a little longer. Just because Sheeda prophecised that there will be qurbani before qurbani does not mean that Imran should make a lamb out of his PTI. Kaan diyya Khan sahb

Published on: thespokesman.pk

Date:Friday, 22 August 2014