I am a fan of Mr, Imran Khan for one reason alone that he is the only person fighting against all odds for a better and prosperous, corruption free Pakistan. His opponents were left in shock and awe on his swift rise to popularity as a political figure after 2008. later on PTI emerged as the most popular party among the more politically aware class of Pakistan in almost every province yet it could win a handful of seats in National assembly and was able to only formulate government in KPK province through an alliance with JI. Most of his opponents were crumbling before the elections of 2013 and they feared humiliating defeats and a much closer match between PTI and PML( N) in Punjab but PTI could not cash in the momentum and the Tsaunami subsided without doing any major damage to its opponents.
In years to come the opponents started realizing that they over estimated PTI strength and the street power they have merely makes up to 15% of voting population. While PTI and Imran Khan have been able to mobilize the educated youth and for the first time brought them directly to influence the political results in our country, they have failed to capitulate on the remaining 85% of the voting population.
I will not play a blame game as who may be responsible for this within PTI but focusing on the 15% and forgetting about the 85% will eventually not end well for PTI in the coming elections of 2018 as well. While the PTI leadership may well be capable enough to run a government as it consists of many experienced economists, financial advisers and intellectuals from all field of life, it lacks that one intellectual who speaks out for the poor of this country.
In order to get vote from the remaining 85% of the population you do not need some one like Umar Asad but you need some one like Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto who can offer them what they need in the language they understand and that language for poor is Roti, Kupra aur Makan. That is all the poor in our country needs and asks before he casts his vote and his vote is equal to any one of the intellectuals and therefore makes him as important a voter as Asad Umer is.
This one Vital Flaw in the entire political strategy of PTI has left it in the middle and it may never emerge as the one big party of Pakistan until it over comes this. It is high time that PTI understands that it can never win an over whelming majority with the voters it has as we are a nation which consists of 29.5% of population living below poverty line, corruption is probably not there main concern right now when they are struggling to live. I do understand what PTI suggests will eventually uplift the condition of the poor of our country but the dilemma is that in a nation where an average IQ is only 85, the complicated economic calculations provided by the PTI intellectuals do not make sense to the majority.
US elections which saw trump take the lead are an example how masses can be moved to vote without trying to enlighten there intellect with the complexities of economy and corruption. Point is tell them what they need to know and what they can understand.
PTI and Imran Khan needs to sit down and reevaluate how a poor and average Pakistani thinks and answer him in a way that he stands up for PTI now because if they do than they will be unstoppable. The voices need to come from the top and should be discussed in every gathering of PTI, every interview of its political leaders aired on TV channels and every talk show where they participate. The six point agenda of PTI from here on should look more like this:
- We will strongly uphold the Islamic Laws and culture in Pakistan.
- Every poor person will be given a shelter to live under and a system to provide him food and clothing.
- Free quality health and education for the poor.
- Police will not be used against poor.
- Reforming of villages and sanitation system all across Pakistan and providing them with basic necessities of life including clean drinking water and agricultural assistance.
- Lowering taxes on the poor and eliminating taxes on the food items, oil , sugar etc
The main focus of PTI should now be to mobilize the poor as they mobilized the youth and it will become a political force which can single handedly defeat the right and the left wing parties. The people need to know what they will get out of it directly if they vote PTI. So yeah just build the wall instead of saying that you will work on the economic revitalizing of Pakistan so that you can raise enough money to finally be able to build a wall. The later seems a mere possibility and not strong enough to make people change loyalty and vote for whereas the former seems a resolution and some thing which will happen for real and against all odds its worth a try to vote for.
I am a believer that an idea can bring about a revolution, if you are a PTI supporter and you have understood what i tried to suggest here, let us raise these questions on the top of our voices till they are heard and the change begins.
Electables will not win you an election but the ones who elect them will.
Written by Capt (Retd) Shahnawaz Yaqub Bhatti
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