Imran Khan’s march to Raiwind is not going to be a battle for his political life. The PTI chief’s political life is built on two factors. One is his personal charisma which has sustained his political journey for more than two decades. He is the only political personality on the national scene who doesn’t owe his success or presence, to the ‘benevolent’ support of one or the other military ruler. He has risen to political stardom the hardest way—on the strength of his personal appeal and perseverance. On his way to the October 30, 2011 public meeting of Lahore, he went through many heartbreaks including a broken marriage and two electoral fiascos.
For three years upto October 30, 2011, I was a close companion of IK in his resolute political journey. And his rich Faith-based optimism was always heartening to me.
On that eventful day—the 30th of October 2011—the ‘sound barrier’ was crossed at last and IK’s political career took a dramatic turn.
The other factor behind IK’s political rise is his Agenda of Change— his militant advocacy of eradication of fiscal immorality from our governance and social life.
“All corruption is deadly”, he says. “But if the men at the top are corrupt, its deadliness becomes damning and dooming.”
I tend to agree that IK’s ideological vision isn’t clearly outlined. He does believe strongly in simulating the inspiring ways of the seventh-century State of Madina, and he does harbour a devoted Muslim’s fascination with the leadership of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). But not all the members of his team share his passion for setting up a twentyfirst-century ‘Madina’ in Pakistan. Even the best ones believe that the requisites of a modern state aren’t harmonious with the principles that shaped the times of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and the Rightly Guided Caliphs.
Still I, despite my disconnect with the PTI politics of today, can state with great confidence that there will never ever be any Waterloo for Imran Khan. We do maintain a symbolic contact, and share a common dream. Faith for Imran Khan is a far more durable asset than any political breakthrough.
True, people are disheartened at the way the status quo has lingered on despite IK’s heroic challenge to it, but if any political figure on the national horizon has the ability to pull out a moment of triumph from the jaws of despair, it is Imran Khan.
There is a journey beyond Raiwind for the country’s most persistent dreamer.
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