The party may be over, but the circus is not
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The party may be over, but the circus is only just beginning. If, as is likely, we are heading toward the fall of the PTI govt, followed by a caretaker set-up and then fresh elections, it means that the breathless political coverage we have been subjected to over the past weeks is not going to end or even slow down; it will simply change form and direction.
So, from debating who will win the vote of no-confidence we will seamlessly transition to asking who will win the next elections and the public at large will be inundated by a never-ending series of press conferences, statements and public rallies as politicians attempt to win the battle of narratives in the lead-in to the next elections.
And when it comes to that – whether you love him, hate him or are indifferent to him – there is no denying that Imran Khan certainly has a narrative: he is the one hope for Pakistan, the one truly honest man with a deep sense of pride for Pakistan’s culture, religion and values. He is the one man who can stand up for what’s right, come what may, and will stare down all the foreign powers that would enslave Pakistan. As such, it is only natural that he would be opposed tooth and nail by all those entrenched political parties who seek only to fill their own coffers while depleting those of the nation’s, and when faced with such a challenge it is only to be expected that they would team up against him to protect their personal interests, power and fortunes.
With events unfolding as they are now, to his supporters this is simply the fulfilment of a dark prophecy, an outcome that their visionary leader had long foretold. To them, the entire complex political scenario boils down to an epochal, ongoing battle between absolute good and absolute evil.
While this is simply a reworking of the existing narrative, there is now also a twist: that of alleged interference by foreign powers irate at what the PM calls his independent foreign policy joining hands with his local opponents to remove the one man standing in the way of their unquestioned hegemony. And this is where the letter that Imran Khan brandished at his last public rally comes into play. Is it, as many are claiming, simply a cable from the former Pakistani ambassador to the US reporting a demarche from the State department about increased anti-American political rhetoric in Pakistan? Is it an intercepted communication detailing a foreign plot? Or is it in fact no more than a political prop, a piece of paper to be waved around?
While it may be over for Imran Khan the Prime Minister, it is not over for Imran Khan the politician and nor can anyone realistically write off the PTI which, while diminished will continue to exist.
Zarrar Khuhro
We do not know, and may never know because thus far the messages and signals from the government have been contradictory: those government functionaries who admit they have not read the letter say with certainty that it is evidence of a foreign plot. We are told that the contents of the letter cannot be revealed because it is a matter of national security. As for local partners of this ‘conspiracy,’ Asad Umar has no qualms in naming Nawaz Sharif as a principal player during a press conference but then, later the same day, Fawad Chaudhry says that the government does not want to reveal the names of the local conspirators or the foreign countries backing this play.
The Prime Minister is said to want to show the letter to the Chief Justice but at the same time the government seems reluctant to request a judicial commission as was done in memo-gate. Another question that remains is that of the view of the armed forces that have in the past reacted strongly and publicly to such matters. If in this case they do not, does that indicate that they do not take it seriously? Or does it indicate that they approve of said conspiracy? Now we hear that it is to be presented before an in-camera session of parliament, and while this is certainly the better way forward (another option is the National Security Council), it will be an interesting spectacle when the letter is produced in the presence of those parties that, wittingly or unwittingly, are the beneficiaries of said conspiracy.
But whatever the truth of it is, in the ongoing and upcoming war of narratives it will be yet another weapon to be used. And it will be effective, when married to the existing ‘me against the world’ narrative that IK is spinning. It will have many takers, and not simply because Khan is a master of this game, but because the spectre and possibility of foreign interference, in light of Pakistan’s history, resonates with a great many people.
And so, this is what Khan will use to electrify his base, and while it may be over for Imran Khan the Prime Minister, it is not over for Imran Khan the politician and nor can anyone realistically write off the PTI which, while diminished will continue to exist. On the other side, the political alliance of convenience that brought him down will have a hard time staying united if their one-point agenda – the removal from power of Imran Khan – is achieved. This too will add to the narrative that the PTI will adopt. Imran is a crowd-puller and there is no reason for his personal, near cult-like, popularity among his supporters to diminish. Indeed, you may find that the base of the PTI emerges more energised than before while playing on a very familiar pitch.
On the outside looking in, one can only hope that there will be some introspection and a realization that parties can only last the distance when they learn to stand on their own feet, rooted in public support and not the whims of powerful quarters. If so, you may well find that the PTI will emerge strengthened in the long-term despite its current woes, and for precedents one can look at the dilemmas faced by other parties when the proverbial boot was on the other foot. Shorn of those who joined at the direction or pleasure of others, abandoned by those who joined their ranks for the promise of power, the PTI has a unique chance to build a structure that can survive beyond the party leader. Certainly there is a base to build on, there is a huge demographic that Imran Khan has energized, and that is a department in which he still has other parties beat.
But for that there must be a realization of why things went wrong that go beyond conspiracy and dark rumors. There should ideally be a realization that Parliament and those who sit in its halls do deserve some respect and that, differences aside, a working relationship even with opponents is crucial for the betterment of the country. Narratives can pull crowds and get headlines, but they cannot build parties beyond a certain point.
- Zarrar Khuhro is a Pakistani journalist who has worked extensively in both the print and electronic media industry. He is currently hosting a talk show on Dawn News. Twitter: @ZarrarKhuhro
