Ronald Regan transitioned quite smoothly from being an actor to being a politician; eventually reaching the highest office of the land. Wisdom of the street has it that another actor Arnold Schwarzenegger had a great chance of repeating the feat but got stopped in his tracks since he was born abroad and thus barred by the constitution. A number of Indian actors have joined politics and some like Jayalalitha have managed to reach the seats of power at the provincial level. None have reached the national level yet. Many players and sports heroes are in the parliament as well. However even when they are not nominated like the iconic Tendulkar ;they have attracted very sparse public following as politicians. In the last election former Indian cricket skipper Mohammad Azharuddin who was contesting on a
Congress ticket from Tonk-Sawai Madhopur seat in Rajasthan, lost his own election by a whooping 1,34,000 votes.
On the other side of the border however another cricket captain Imran Khan actually managed to gather over 7,700,000 votes in his favour. His party PTI riding on his charisma and rhetoric snagged 28 seats. That's when the problem started because Pakistan national assembly has 272 seats for which a direct election is held and he did not get the mandate to rule. The ruling party PPP fared no better and managed about 32 wins and a shade less number of polled votes than Imran Khan. The individual who received more votes than both PTI and PPP put together was Nawaz Sharif of PML(N). He received the biggest public support ; nearly 15 million votes and 126 seats in the national assembly. Zardari of PPP did not expect to win so he quietly retired to his corner but Imran Khan became more than angry at his comprehensive loss ; he became incredulous!! Yeah it's complicated!
He expected to take the country by storm and march into the PM's office; specially when the establishment ( read army) as well as the radicals ( read Islamic fundamentalists) were in his corner. So he believes that Nawaz Sharif stole the election from him. Specially he is suspicious about four seat in particular that he lost. Four seats, that would not reach him any closer to the power! There are several questions Imran is not asking. Starting with how did Nawaz manage that sleight of hand? He was in opposition when elections took place. Who helped him. Zardari was in power and if Zardari helped Nawaz , why did he not help himself instead?
Secondly there is a parliament ; an election commission; and the supreme court in Pakistan. How come Imran does not use those mechanisms to redress his grievances. They are all part of the democratic system he supposedly believes in! How's that he never raised a voice when during the election campaign terrorist were killing and terrorising Awami National Party workers to keep them away from the election campaign? Is this because Imran's party benefited from this; or is it because he is sympathetic to these methods and enjoys their company ? Is this not "cheating" ?
We are not sure what this great saviour of the Pakistani people thinks about it since he has not said anything about it. What we can be sure of though is that he is coordinating his moves against an elected government with that of Tahirul Quadri. A maverick cross between Lenin and Pope ; that is wearing a Turkish cap and carrying a Canadian passport . This oddball character does not believe in the parliamentary democracy as the world understands it . He is on record about total revolution and complete breakdown of the present disposition being his goal! Both are together weakening an elected government, degrading its authority and hold over the national affairs; creating a general disturbance and an atmosphere where an army coup will be seen as heaven's blessings! All of this is happening at this crucial juncture when Pakistan needs a stable and consistent government more than anything else. A government that can deal with the severe security, fiscal and other attendant challenges in the coming months as the US forces exit Afghanistan.
Imran khan used to fulminate about drone attacks. Now a days he keeps his council to himself about it. All he is concentrating on is to dethrone and destabilize Nawaz sharif. . He may succeed yet and he has no doubt about being absolutely in the right. Matthew 6:1 has a teaching about self righteousness. Luckily Imran khan does not read bible. At age 61 he is a man in a hurry . After all the sooner he can create a "New Pakistan" , sooner he can contract another "nikah". He would like that . His words not mine!
So is all this because he is lonely and itchy in his old age and wants to get married again ? Did I tell you it is complicated ?
He expected to take the country by storm and march into the PM's office; specially when the establishment ( read army) as well as the radicals ( read Islamic fundamentalists) were in his corner. So he believes that Nawaz Sharif stole the election from him. Specially he is suspicious about four seat in particular that he lost. Four seats, that would not reach him any closer to the power! There are several questions Imran is not asking. Starting with how did Nawaz manage that sleight of hand? He was in opposition when elections took place. Who helped him. Zardari was in power and if Zardari helped Nawaz , why did he not help himself instead?
Secondly there is a parliament ; an election commission; and the supreme court in Pakistan. How come Imran does not use those mechanisms to redress his grievances. They are all part of the democratic system he supposedly believes in! How's that he never raised a voice when during the election campaign terrorist were killing and terrorising Awami National Party workers to keep them away from the election campaign? Is this because Imran's party benefited from this; or is it because he is sympathetic to these methods and enjoys their company ? Is this not "cheating" ?
We are not sure what this great saviour of the Pakistani people thinks about it since he has not said anything about it. What we can be sure of though is that he is coordinating his moves against an elected government with that of Tahirul Quadri. A maverick cross between Lenin and Pope ; that is wearing a Turkish cap and carrying a Canadian passport . This oddball character does not believe in the parliamentary democracy as the world understands it . He is on record about total revolution and complete breakdown of the present disposition being his goal! Both are together weakening an elected government, degrading its authority and hold over the national affairs; creating a general disturbance and an atmosphere where an army coup will be seen as heaven's blessings! All of this is happening at this crucial juncture when Pakistan needs a stable and consistent government more than anything else. A government that can deal with the severe security, fiscal and other attendant challenges in the coming months as the US forces exit Afghanistan.
Imran khan used to fulminate about drone attacks. Now a days he keeps his council to himself about it. All he is concentrating on is to dethrone and destabilize Nawaz sharif. . He may succeed yet and he has no doubt about being absolutely in the right. Matthew 6:1 has a teaching about self righteousness. Luckily Imran khan does not read bible. At age 61 he is a man in a hurry . After all the sooner he can create a "New Pakistan" , sooner he can contract another "nikah". He would like that . His words not mine!
So is all this because he is lonely and itchy in his old age and wants to get married again ? Did I tell you it is complicated ?
