News Analysis |
The Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan has made it clear that his fight is against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and his main goal is to defeat it. PTI’s Chairman was speaking to Hamid Mir in his show, Capital Talk on Geo News. Imran Khan seemed determined and confident to win the upcoming general elections.
Imran Khan spoke on various issues and challenges being faced by his party. Mr. Mir questioned how PTI reconciles its politics of change ideology with that of “seat adjustment”, and preferring proven electables for party tickets. “How will change come,” Mir asked. “Perhaps I have the best training when it comes to competing, since, I have been a sportsman. The strategy is to win the match — and our [PTI’s] match is against PML-N,” Imran Khan answered.
The PTI is being criticized by political rivals and analysts for straying of its core principles; intra party elections, selecting ticket aspirant purely on merit and ensuring fair play. Electables across the country approached the PTI and most of them managed to get the party’s ticket. PTI Justifies its position, saying, “it is not possible to win an election without the help of the electables.”
Given the present political scenario in Pakistan, the PTI is expected to win in KPK and Punjab since it has both public appeal and support of electables in both provinces. Electables will definitely play a crucial role in putting PTI on the throne.
Actor and a diehard supporter of PTI, Hamza Ali Abbasi answered those questioning Khan’s electables and their status in the party.
Read more: Distinguishing vigorous critique from disproportionate ambush: Imran Khan and his critics
“Why is Imran Khan giving tickets to electables? For 23 years Imran Khan had non-electable’s contesting in elections, what did my nation give him? One seat from Mianwali… Yes he wants power, because politics without power is useless, he needs power to change things for the better.”
Why is Imran Khan giving tickets to electables? For 23 yrs Imran Khan had non electables contesting in elections, what did my nation give him? 1 seat from Mianwali… Yes he wants power, because politics without power is useless, he needs power to change things for the better.
— Hamza Ali Abbasi (@iamhamzaabbasi) June 10, 2018
“We will adopt every strategy that will help us defeat PML-N”, Imran Khan clearly mentioned.
Khan, who appears to be politically pragmatic and determined, also said, that he was considering seat adjustment where PTI’s candidates are not strong. “We will also do seat adjustments where we feel PTI doesn’t have a strong candidate against PML-N but some other anti-N League candidate can win the seat,” PTI’s chief said.
Read more: Will Imran Khan lose 2018 elections?
Imran Khan has urged the masses not to vote for the corrupt political elite. However, Pakistan being a developing democracy, factors other than political ideology must be taken into consideration. Therefore, expecting votes for ideology alone and ignoring electables in Pakistan is probably a bad strategy.
Electables across the country approached the PTI and most of them managed to get the party’s ticket. PTI Justifies its position, saying, “it is not possible to win an election without the help of the electables.”
Furthermore, the PTI’s chief stuck to his choice of candidates, saying there was a “misconception” that change wasn’t taking place because of the same old faces. “It’s not about the ‘electables’; it’s about the leaders at the top.”
“Even if you bring angels under Nawaz [Sharif] or [Asif Ali] Zardari, it won’t make a difference,” he said, going after the PML-N and PPP leaders. “It is the leader who gets rid of corruption. If the leader is strong, so will the nation.”
Read more: Will Imran Khan win elections from Karachi?
Imran Khan believes a leader is the one who makes a difference. Khan has also said that he’ll focus on strengthening institutions, so that politicians, bureaucrat and army generals don’t act ultra vires, beyond their constitutional power.
PTI’s Chairman was speaking to Hamid Mir in his show, Capital Talk on Geo News. Imran Khan seemed determined and confident to win the upcoming general elections.
Imran Khan also talked about the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) and said that most of what the PTM is demanding is correct and needs to be addressed immediately. Khan admired the consistency with which the PTM Chief pursued his demands. Khan also said, that as a goodwill gesture his party will not field a candidate against the PTM’s Ali Wazir in Waziristan. ‘We want them to be with us, not against us,’ Khan said.
Read more: Will Imran Khan win elections from Karachi?
Pakistan is all set to hold the general elections on the July 25, 2018. The PML-N led by Shehbaz Sharif is in troubled waters these days because many loyalists have parted ways with the party. Most of the electables in South Punjab have left the PML-N and have successfully joined the PTI.
Given the present political scenario in Pakistan, the PTI is expected to win in KPK and Punjab since it has both public appeal and support of electables in both provinces. Electables will definitely play a crucial role in putting PTI on the throne.