A new leader and an old game of thrones

Close your eyes for a bit and you’re in the dark because you’ve missed some kind of political development in Pakistan. Take an overseas flight, and you’ve done the same. So much so that the whole ‘I’m taking a break from social media’ appears to be a decision made in haste if you are keen to keep up with the political landscape, jargon and name/blame shaming in the homeland.

I am not sure if social media (Twitter, in particular) is to be blamed, but the leadership and people are equally active, and they are not shy to display their sentiments – be it personal, political, general or just random – so long as their followers are increasing, the likes are coming in, and the ‘hype’ is projected as real. Any news appears to be relevant news on social media these days.

The result? People who are actually interested in following politics are struggling to keep up because the work/life balance is being blurred with work/life/Twitter balance, and it is all becoming a bit messy at the moment.

The politics of today has also taken an unprecedented turn – I am still trying to figure out if this is for the best or worst. What is the turn and what is the catch? Let’s break it down.

Imran Khan finally rose to power in August 2018 after beating the odds and laying claim to the Throne in good fashion. The air felt fresh, the leadership new(ish), and the hope for a ‘Naya Pakistan’ ripe.

Come April 2022 and Khan’s dreams suddenly collapse – the air no longer fresh, the leadership struggling to hold the fort and the hope for Naya Pakistan unripe…and dismal.

The Throne is at risk, and the opposition (now displaying themselves as allies) is fighting hard to overthrow the (then) incumbent leadership – Khan.

What is this? A vote of no-confidence? How did this even materialise? Odd. But true. Odd. But real. Odd. But happening, nonetheless. Odd. And now passed. Convenient. Very convenient.

Make way (the people of Pakistan) for a new leader has laid claim to the Throne! The PML-N is back – perhaps not with a bang, but back to show its leftover might. The party supremo, albeit afar, still seems to hold the party cards closer than we thought.

Many questions unanswered and many scenarios still playing in the minds of technocrats, experts and overseas Pakistanis: how long will this last and to what end is this brief ‘shift’ of power relevant in the long run? Will anything give or is this just a ploy to buy time for something more decisive?

The narrative is back to where it began before Khan took to the Throne in 2018. The people of Pakistan are being called upon to come out to the streets and fight for their Pakistan – the Naya Pakistan because apparently everyone wants Naya Pakistan or at least this is the narrative being crafted.

A Naya Pakistan which foreign funding cannot buy and a Naya Pakistan which foreign leadership cannot dictate. The West is out to get us (the PTI) and we must stand united against the Western mindset and internal fascism because this is what Islam teaches us and what our Quaid struggled to achieve for an independent, sovereign Pakistan.

In parallel, the allies (now the leadership) attempt to hit back at Khan with corruption jabs mostly dependent on the ECP’s ruling in the foreign funding case. A major setback for Khan and his party, while also giving the leadership extra ammo to keep Khan distracted from focusing on the present. In the meanwhile, they – the leadership – are trying to figure out a way on how Pakistan can make its way out of the tough economic measures imposed by the IMF. A real-life political roller coaster, if you may.

In hindsight, the leadership may be pondering the benefit of the vote of no-confidence as the quagmire of realities is deepening to the point where it is all looking like an unplanned political fiasco – an adrenaline rush at that time but a pile of anxiety at the moment.

And the irony – Xanax will not be of much help!

Perhaps the easier way out would have been to let Khan complete his term and allow the PTI the opportunity to save Pakistan from the economic crisis, if at all. I guess we will never know how it would have ended had Khan been at the Throne. Khan 1, Leadership 0.

So what happens now?

Khan and his party appear to be all over the place. Anything not in line with the PTI’s mandate and/or vision translates into open criticism against those making the decisions.

However, and to his advantage, Khan has proven time and again that the people are with him. The numbers speak for themselves during his rallies. There is no denying his star presence, ability to sway the narrative and his cult social media following. This also remains true for most of the PTI leadership.

The big question is: can Khan turn this around now with Punjab also under his (imaginary and foreseeable) realm?

If we follow the region in general, recent history shows us that politics itself isn’t as methodical as it used to be. Take Sri Lanka, for example, where years of economic mismanagement resulted in mass protests across the country. Predictably, things got out of control and Sri Lankans decided the fate of the leadership, forcing the resignation of the Sri Lankan president after he fled the country. Years of dominance and suddenly, game over – just like that – by the people.

Not to confirm that this is the status quo in Pakistan, but the mindset of the people has changed. They have become more aware of politics, have regular access to social media, and are able to follow the latest political trends more actively. Moreover, they are deeply inclined to support a leader whose narrative is the betterment of his/her country and their living conditions.

At this point, and with the inevitable global inflation hitting hard, the desire of people is access to essentials – employment, housing, sustenance, fuel and security. It is about the reality in their homes and the opportunity for a better lifestyle for their families. Party loyalty no longer takes precedence as it did in the past.

Khan’s sway over the people appears to be winning them over, and perhaps this is why there is so much focus on the PTI’s ‘record-breaking rallies’ over social media. Khan’s stint at the Throne may have been short-lived, but his tactics to influence the people to remain very much relevant to what resonates with the majority of people in Pakistan.

He offers that which the incumbent are unable to at the moment. Why? Because they (among other things) continue to lose credibility due to the mounting IMF pressure – resulting in exaggerated prices for daily sustenance – even the basics. Meanwhile, despite Khan’s methodological errors, he draws mountains of people towards himself in an attempt to master his position with the people.

The writer is a lawyer based in Vienna. He can be reached at: [email protected]

Originally published in The News