12/04/2022
Since it is considered haraam to disagree with Imran Khan, anybody who has dared to has been inundated with abuses and ‘whataboutism’ this past week.
You have a right to support Imran Khan, and we have a right not to. Not supporting Imran Khan does not mean we support someone else.
But for the record let me address some of the ‘whataboutism’ PTI supporters keep throwing at everyone:
1. At least Imran Khan is not corrupt
Imran Khan lives a lavish lifestyle without a discernible source of income for the past few years. If Cricket Commentary makes you this rich then Ramiz Raja should have 10 Bani Galas by now. Imran Khan used the courts to get Bani Gala regularized for just 12 lakh 6000 rupees, while katchi abadis in Islamabad and Karachi were grazed to the ground in his tenure. Nasla Tower was deconstructed while the Grand Hyatt building where Imran Khan is rumoured to own a flat was legalized.
The findings of the foreign funding case are shocking.
Everyone has been talking about corruption in Punjab under Usman Buzdar for 3 years but now the Farah Khan scandal lays the details bare.
2. There are no allegations of corruption on Imran Khan
Javed Hashmi, the President of PTI, accused Imran Khan of working with the army to bring down democracy.
Aleem Khan, one of Imran Khan’s closest aides, has accused of him of corruption.
Jehangir Tareen, popularly known as Imran Khan’s atm, was involved in a major sugar mills fraud in 2020.
Ex-information secretary of PTI, Ahmed Jawad, has accused Imran Khan of corruption.
Tariq Banuri, the Chairman of HEC, has alleged that Imran Khan removed him because Tariq Banuri was against Ata-ur-Rehman’s corruption in the HEC. PTI removed Tariq Banuri illegally and he was reinstated by the courts.
3. Imran Khan isn’t perfect but without him these corrupt leaders will take over
Imran Khan was going to make Pervez Elahi the Chief Minister of Punjab, a man he previously called the biggest daku in Punjab.
Shaikh Rasheed was Imran Khan’s Interior Minister. 80% of PTI are the same faces we’ve been seeing for decades.
How is it the MNA that was corrupt under PPP and PMLN will now suddenly not be corrupt because he won on a PTI ticket?
Imran Khan has also been silent when corruption scandals have emerged in institutions under his watch.
What ever happened to the Pandora papers?
4. Imran Khan is being removed because he stood up to America.
Moeed Yosouf had to go on the record saying the US never asked for bases. The ‘Absolutely Not’ was simply political theatrics.
Imran Khan went to the IMF after saying he will commit su***de but not go to the IMF.
PTI even went one step further and handed over the State Bank ot the IMF in the name of State Bank sovereignty.
Why would America want regime change in Pakistan when they simply control your finances?
5. This is an Imported Government being brought in
Most of the advisors and special Assistants to the Prime Minister during Imran Khan’s tenure were dual nationals.
They even made Faisal Vadwa a Senator despite it being illegal to become a Senator while holding a foreign citizenship.
6. Imran Khan wants an independent foreign policy
The Foreign Policy was hardly under civilian rule the past 3.5 years.
Why has Imran Khan been so vocal about Islamophobia but completely silent on Uighurs in China?
7. Imran Khan had a great economic policy
Which policy is that?
We were sold Asad Umar as our saviour for a decade and then he was removed months into the job.
He was replaced by PPP’s Finance Minister, Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, who was seen as IMF’s guy. He preached austerity.
He was replaced by Shaukat Tarin, who made a 180 and went for growth overheating the economy.
Can any anchor simply ask Imran Khan what his economic vision for Pakistan is because they changed the entire financial and economic policy every year.
Imran Khan claimed that when oil and electricity prices go up, know that your leaders are corrupt. Why have we had the most steep inflation ever under Imran Khan’s supposedly non-corrupt Government?
8. But what about the Ehsaas program?
An unmitigated success. Imran Khan used to call PPP corrupt and criticise the Benazir Income Support Program for being corrupt but when they rebranded it to Ehsaas, he has been flaunting it everywhere.It was a great initiative by the PPP Government and it is great that PTI expanded it and I hope all subsequent Governments expand it.
9. Covid hit so our economy was affected
Covid was a God-sent for Imran Khan. We barely shut down any industries. Pakistani industries got more orders as industries were shut in other countries. We got relief in our loan repayments. Restrictions were lifted.
PTI’s economic failures have nothing to do with Covid.
That being said I must give the NCOC for doing a stellar job.
10. PTI has tried to root out corruption
PTI used NAB as a tool for political victimisation. Have they managed to prove a single case during their tenure? Imran Khan said, “NAB and the Courts were not under our control” - this is what a dictator says. Courts should not be in your control! That is the whole point - they are independent and you should be able to make a case with evidence for what you are alleging.
That being said the Government that came to power screaming “Insaaf” ran the longest amnesty scheme for black money ever in the history of Pakistan.
11. Now that Imran Khan is not there, Pakistan will be destroyed
Pakistan was doing fine before Imran Khan came to power. Can someone really argue with me that Punjab did better under Usman Buzdar than it did under Shahbaz Sharif?
Imran Khan literally tried replacing Usman Buzdar with Pervaiz Elahi - says a lot about Usman Buzdar’s performance.
12. But shouldn’t you be against the Establishment removing Imran Khan?
Laatay hain toh nikaltay bhi toh hain
I am against the role of Establishment in politics on principle. I do not jump on the bandwagon of abusing our institutions just because your favourite is not in power anymore.
The slogans we heard against General Bajwa in the PTI rallies - what would your reaction have been if you heard those slogans a year ago in a PTM rally?
People in Pakistan have been abducted and gone missing for much less.
Ali Wazir, an elected MNA, is still in jail.
13. But how can Shahbaz Sharif become Prime Minister when we did not even vote for him?
That is how Parliamentary Democracy works. You vote for your MNA and your MNA votes for the Leader of the house.
14. What about horse trading? Anyone can just buy MNAs and become Prime Minister?
PTI has not provided a single shred of evidence against any single MNA of accepting money or bribes. They haven’t even filed a case asking the courts to investigate.
Also the Vote of No Confidence went through with the Allies of the PTI Government changing sides without needing the votes of any dissidents from PTI’s ranks.
This is quite common in Parliamentary Democracies, the leader of the house loses the majority and becomes the Leader, that is what Imran Khan should have done instead of throwing tantrums. You are not entitled to power. You were not sent by God to rule over us.
15. How can the Courts interfere when the Parliament is Supreme?
The Parliament is Supreme. The Speaker is not. The Speaker was preventing the will of the people from being exercised.
16. The will of the people is with Imran Khan
PDM had millions out as well. Pakistan is a big country. A big crowd, especially in urban centers, do not decide elections. Your will is with your MNA in a representative democracy. You are free to vote him or her out in the next election.
17. But the Establishment interfered with the Judiciary and got their desired result
Neither of us has any evidence for that.
That being said the judgement of the Supreme Court is perfectly as per the letter of the law. Upholding the Constitution is something all of us should celebrate.
18. But what has the Constitution ever given us?
Fundamental human rights for one thing?
You don’t have any rights as a citizen without the Constitution.
Our Democracy, Constitution and Judiciary isn’t perfect but without them we will have nothing.
Despite dictators ruling over us for decades the only reason Pakistan has managed to bounce back is due to the strength and resistance of the Pakistani people.
The idea that ye awaam ko danda do toh hee samajhtee hay is an elite dictatorial fantasy that has no grounding in fact.
Pakistanis deserve their rights as much as any other human being.
19. Then you tell us who we should vote for
Why should I? Use your braincells.
Vote for whoever you think is best for you.
If you are sick of elite politics, get involved in politics and make a change.
If you are in Karachi, go help Jibran Nasir with his campaign. If anything, the past week has taught us the importance of every single MNA.
Look up HKM, MKP, AWP - they have great candidates all over Pakistan.
It is about time we move away from messiahs and cult leaders, and think about our own constituency and who would be best as our representative for that, instead of just accepting people like Aamir Liaquat because Imran Khan told us to vote for him.
20. So you want Fazlu as President?
No, No I don’t! And he is not becoming President. Arif Alvi will stay on, unless he resigns.
I definitely don’t want Fazlur ur Rehman as Prime Minister even, ironically Imran Khan, when he supported him in the 2002 elections, ironically over Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
Conclusion:
It is not my job to tell you who to vote for, I am not a supporter of PMLN or PPP so calling me a Patwari or a Jiyala won't help. Ironically the only party I have actually ever voted for in an election is PTI but to be fair, PTI was a different party a decade ago.
Support Imran Khan all you want, just don't think he is any different from any of the rest of them.
This isn't about Pakistan or Democracy or Sovereignty. This is about your personal preferences, and that is fine too, just don't berate the rest of Pakistan that disagrees with you.
Pakistan is a country of 220 million people, yes most people you see on social media support PTI vocally because PTI's main vocal support comes from the urban upper middle class elite, the idea that the rest of Pakistan is jahil and they sell their votes for qeemay walay naan is disgusting and elitist.
Everyone votes based on their self interests, and no, you don't know their self interests better than them. You are literally sitting in Canada Shakur.
