This was indeed a key speech, telling tales of the game of thrones.
Ok boys and girls, some of you may not enjoy what I'm about to post. It is what I think may be the bitter truth or another side of it that we may or may not like.
You all know I admire IK for his services to the nation even before coming to power, but its no secret that I also detest his wrong decisions, fluctuating political non seriousness of his advisors and conceding political ground without putting pressure on his team to do much effort to follow up and keep tabs on some ignored yet actually key issues and I absolutely hate his choice of advisers to say the least. My posts since Panama revelations are a testament to it all.
So here goes my two cents about Imran Khan taking a couple of days off to pay some more heed to even more of the same ill advice he keeps following despite getting knocked over several times due to it. The analysis is in two parts.
Part 1:
The political scenario and the Speech:
Establishment wanted IK to tone down his uncompromising stand against Sharifs and opposition in general. The opposition has learned that it needs to do just enough to aggravate PTI hawks into action every few days to make it impossible for PTI to appear to be even trying to compromise. This is still not the point but it supplements it.
The point is; initially when Nawaz's health deteriorated recently, IK agreed with establishment to let Nawaz go to get treatment due to his bad health himself and his advisors never bothered to explain and war game the scenario completely. As a matter of fact, they missed the 8th ball all together in misjudging the reaction tsunami of PTI support base against letting Nawaz go.
But the key culprits, that made the issue complicated for Nawaz Sharif, were no other than Salman Shahbaz, his wife and Shahbaz Sharif himself - the game changer - this taunt and the subsequent tall claims of Salman and Shahbaz himself unleashed the wrath of PTI support base towards PTI GOP that how can this happen under their very noses - NRO???
What transpired in due course was a strategic rethink that, for PTI supporters, turned out to be a political master stroke for some and an almost too late (but just in the nick of time) politico-legal face saving for others but a curve ball for PMLN that sent them looking for favors from a court, already hell bent on providing "quick and timely justice" at a consecutive series of crucial junctures off late.
Whatever LHC did in due course to become mediator in favor of a Rich influential Convicted Criminal against GOP itself is what has alarmed IK the most...that GOP was made to agree on legal terms of LHC that amounted to a mere Rs50/- stamp paper undertaking from a SCP declared liar and corrupt convicted criminal giving his word to return after he is "healthy," lol, not his "uncurable in Pakistan" "platelets ailment" or "Thrombocytopenia" but when he is "healthy" and fit to return ... what a joke that a guy who has a series of heart and sugar ailments, including old age and obnoxious eating habits to make it all worse, can get completely "healthy" from such ailments and not meet his maker sooner or later. Amazing intellect and unprecedented favor, a health vacation abroad straight from behind bars!!!
So naturally, IK is upset and feels aggreaved. But who advised IK to let him go in the first place ignoring ECL?
Indeed as he admitted, IK felt mercy for the seriously ill adversary, but to give such a favor to Nawaz that goes against the law of the land is unlike IK... enter the highly intellectual advisers...the ever obedient servants of rulers than rulers themselves.
I'm not putting the blame on advisers alone, I am only pointing out that the timeout taken to reflect on the political scene was lined with conferring with advisers, some of which have even admitted as so in media. It is indeed a fact that IK does relies on his advisers a lot more than we have seen other leaders, probably because he is still inexperienced in his term as PM Pakistan as well as the political and legal ramifications of his decisions.
Coming back to the speech...IK and the same advisers who were unable to war game the scenario earlier but willing to and providing excuses to let go, played another master stroke... play the aggrieved PM harddone by LHC card and appeal to the SCP judges informally to provide same level of justice for the rich and poor alike. Bravo! Thats a good political move actually but naming the judges might come back to haunt as they might mention their reservations by comments in another case.
IK was looking not just angry, he was looking to make it clear and showing extreme resentment against (compromise advocating) establishment by mocking opposition leaders, Bilawal and Fazlu one by one.
Then his statements alluding towards Chaudhris, MQM, GDA and BAP's blackmailing were again showing that these political gimmics by allies are actually getting to him. He sounded like an opposition leader when he is the PM. Bad advice as usual... threatening allies is not a good idea, specially when you know its the force behind them that is your accost.
Why did IK call it inequality of law when PTI cabinet itself started with this mistake by making exception for the rich convict and approved his going abroad on indemnity condition despite Nawaz's name was on ECL???
IK should have refused on principle saying that, "I want to help Nawaz but his name is on ECL so according to the law we cannot remove it, plz contact courts for going abroad." Period. In the eyes of the executive, rich and poor would have stood the same right there and then.
The point is: how can you ask SCP CJ Khosa and Justice Gulzar to give equal justice to poor, when to start with, you yourself went against the Law to allow rich Convict on ECL to leave due to misplaced mercy?
IK needs to settle this once and for all.
Bottom line is clear as daylight, he needs only to stand on principles and his decisions would start to fall in line with the asperations of people who love him, his voters and supporters who are worried for him that they want to see the IK who will never compromise on principles.
This was indeed a key speech, telling tales of the game of thrones.
Ok boys and girls, some of you may not enjoy what I'm about to post. It is what I think may be the bitter truth or another side of it that we may or may not like.
You all know I admire IK for his services to the nation even before coming to power, but its no secret that I also detest his wrong decisions, fluctuating political non seriousness of his advisors and conceding political ground without putting pressure on his team to do much effort to follow up and keep tabs on some ignored yet actually key issues and I absolutely hate his choice of advisers to say the least. My posts since Panama revelations are a testament to it all.
So here goes my two cents about Imran Khan taking a couple of days off to pay some more heed to even more of the same ill advice he keeps following despite getting knocked over several times due to it. The analysis is in two parts.
Part 1:
The political scenario and the Speech:
Establishment wanted IK to tone down his uncompromising stand against Sharifs and opposition in general. The opposition has learned that it needs to do just enough to aggravate PTI hawks into action every few days to make it impossible for PTI to appear to be even trying to compromise. This is still not the point but it supplements it.
The point is; initially when Nawaz's health deteriorated recently, IK agreed with establishment to let Nawaz go to get treatment due to his bad health himself and his advisors never bothered to explain and war game the scenario completely. As a matter of fact, they missed the 8th ball all together in misjudging the reaction tsunami of PTI support base against letting Nawaz go.
But the key culprits, that made the issue complicated for Nawaz Sharif, were no other than Salman Shahbaz, his wife and Shahbaz Sharif himself - the game changer - this taunt and the subsequent tall claims of Salman and Shahbaz himself unleashed the wrath of PTI support base towards PTI GOP that how can this happen under their very noses - NRO???
What transpired in due course was a strategic rethink that, for PTI supporters, turned out to be a political master stroke for some and an almost too late (but just in the nick of time) politico-legal face saving for others but a curve ball for PMLN that sent them looking for favors from a court, already hell bent on providing "quick and timely justice" at a consecutive series of crucial junctures off late.
Whatever LHC did in due course to become mediator in favor of a Rich influential Convicted Criminal against GOP itself is what has alarmed IK the most...that GOP was made to agree on legal terms of LHC that amounted to a mere Rs50/- stamp paper undertaking from a SCP declared liar and corrupt convicted criminal giving his word to return after he is "healthy," lol, not his "uncurable in Pakistan" "platelets ailment" or "Thrombocytopenia" but when he is "healthy" and fit to return ... what a joke that a guy who has a series of heart and sugar ailments, including old age and obnoxious eating habits to make it all worse, can get completely "healthy" from such ailments and not meet his maker sooner or later. Amazing intellect and unprecedented favor, a health vacation abroad straight from behind bars!!!
So naturally, IK is upset and feels aggreaved. But who advised IK to let him go in the first place ignoring ECL?
Indeed as he admitted, IK felt mercy for the seriously ill adversary, but to give such a favor to Nawaz that goes against the law of the land is unlike IK... enter the highly intellectual advisers...the ever obedient servants of rulers than rulers themselves.
I'm not putting the blame on advisers alone, I am only pointing out that the timeout taken to reflect on the political scene was lined with conferring with advisers, some of which have even admitted as so in media. It is indeed a fact that IK does relies on his advisers a lot more than we have seen other leaders, probably because he is still inexperienced in his term as PM Pakistan as well as the political and legal ramifications of his decisions.
Coming back to the speech...IK and the same advisers who were unable to war game the scenario earlier but willing to and providing excuses to let go, played another master stroke... play the aggrieved PM harddone by LHC card and appeal to the SCP judges informally to provide same level of justice for the rich and poor alike. Bravo! Thats a good political move actually but naming the judges might come back to haunt as they might mention their reservations by comments in another case.
IK was looking not just angry, he was looking to make it clear and showing extreme resentment against (compromise advocating) establishment by mocking opposition leaders, Bilawal and Fazlu one by one.
Then his statements alluding towards Chaudhris, MQM, GDA and BAP's blackmailing were again showing that these political gimmics by allies are actually getting to him. He sounded like an opposition leader when he is the PM. Bad advice as usual... threatening allies is not a good idea, specially when you know its the force behind them that is your accost.
Why did IK call it inequality of law when PTI cabinet itself started with this mistake by making exception for the rich convict and approved his going abroad on indemnity condition despite Nawaz's name was on ECL???
IK should have refused on principle saying that, "I want to help Nawaz but his name is on ECL so according to the law we cannot remove it, plz contact courts for going abroad." Period. In the eyes of the executive, rich and poor would have stood the same right there and then.
The point is: how can you ask SCP CJ Khosa and Justice Gulzar to give equal justice to poor, when to start with, you yourself went against the Law to allow rich Convict on ECL to leave due to misplaced mercy?
IK needs to settle this once and for all.
Bottom line is clear as daylight, he needs only to stand on principles and his decisions would start to fall in line with the asperations of people who love him, his voters and supporters who are worried for him that they want to see the IK who will never compromise on principles.
Part2:
Political perception and the way forward:
Now the political perception of the speech and its political outcome:
The agressive speech was a good show of strength for the PTI voters and supporters who were/are low on morale seeing the criminals get away from punishment and being allowed out of the country on a health vacation.
However, it was a mistake that IK was advised to go on the offensive against Fazlu as well as his own allies as if to mock the establishment behind the scenes.
This strategy of standing up and mocking now that its too late is like...going around kicking opposition leaders one by one, which is only going to make IK inevitably kick the bomb itself i.e. establishment.
So what can be a better way forward for the sake of Pakistan???
Now that he is neck deep in it with them to try to sort out the economy while taking the brunt of economic hardship to become less popular...he has a few choices left to regain his political strength :
1) It is better to play along in hopes for better economic conditions as was his earlier plan or
2) Find ways to Give immidiate relief to the poor by subsidising wheat, pulses, edible oil and sugar. Lower petroleum prices.
Give relief in electricity bills for 150 units and less, used to be for 100units so make the slab higher to include more.
3) Find a way to create a wave of popularity somehow by punching India on the nose to bleed a little or as
@PakSword suggested in the thread to fight LHC to let other poor ill prisoners go like they let Nawaz go.
I hope I have done fair and constructive criticism as well as a few suggestions towards finding a better solution to the problems at hand.
May Allah have mercy on us all.
Pakistan Zindabad.
