PTI had no chance of winning the elections to form a government. despite bringing in electable, spending untold amount of money it couldn't form simple majority. so establishment had to convince regional parties to favor PTI. right from the word go I knew that Imran Khan's social media popularity was not enough to convert into votes and he admitted himself at the gates of Bani Gala when he flatly refsed to listen to with party workers that he knows what he is doing and its essential that the party tickets are given to electable who had changed many parties before and had a checkered past.
I myself was aware of that and considered it business as usual, justifying that Imran will clean all of it because he himself is clean. Imran had no chance to come to power given how deep the Noon league and PPP political influence is in the system and people are used to seeing this party in power for over 30 years. so the only way to win was that the elections were engineered in his favor.
yes he got my vote and vote of many idealist people who were dreaming a PPP/ Noon league free democratic Pakistan. but sadly these people are now spitting blood and tears over the "treachery of army" but his political capital was never ever enough to even to get simple majority. GHQ pushed the things to PTI favor and it was all acceptable and Halal for us because Noonies and Zardaris are scumbags and ugly and we don't like them.
now I ask myself why army pulled its hand from him then? I have no satisfactory answer I have some plausible answers.
Sack of hay as CM Punjab
he installed Buzdar as CM for the most important province of Pakistan despite the advice of GHQ and his allies & benefactors. Manikas benefited financially and ran the province with the help of Buzdar who happens to be the disciple of Imran's current wife. his removal was too late and didnt save Imran.
Mega corruption and blunders in projects
Peshawar BRT, Billion tree Tsunami, Malam Jabba ski resort project gave rise to stories of embezzlement and mismanagement of funds and false claims. I am ignoring stories about Zulfy Bukhari, Tosha Khana, Farah Gogi because they are not significant (or I am not aware of their materiality).
Stagnation of CPEC
CPEC and associated projects were put on back burner due to government indecision, unnecessary delays, red tape and cover up (explained below)
Diplomatic suicide
angering Saudis, pissing off Chinese (e.g. but not limited to)lying about a terror attack as a cylinder blast, annoying and embarrassing Turkey and Malaysia. the Saudi Crown prince recalling the Jet he had loaned to Pakistan so that Imran Khan can use it was very low time for KSA/ Pakistan relations. I am not going to include Absolutely not America because it was simply rhetoric because America was not asking for anything and had no need from us after it alredy got our assistance in the safe transit of its personnel from Afghansitan.
TTP appeasement through misplaced pragmatism
suggesting a diplomatic office for TTP, constantly criticizing military operations as (appeasement of Americans) and paying ransom money to TTP at government level. I have personal account from locals in Peshawar and Swat blaming PTI's soft approach and even appeasement of TTP terrorists. granted GHQ shares the blame as well for TTP resurgence but GHQ is not a democratic party but PTI is which got elected through the votes of the people (with a lot of helpful push from "Generals").
the establishment and the PDM is not buying his deadline bluffs and threats of dissolving the assemblies or resignations anymore. now his party has suddenly woken up to the inflation and price hike and plans to make more marches against the federal government as if people were loving the fruits of his good governance in the time of plenty before his ouster. from the GHQ point of view it was a great defeat and embarrassment for the generals that the party they engineered to replace Noon league and PPP fell on its face flat and GHQ had to go back to the same Noon league it punished on behest of PTI sending its leaders out of the country
The establishment unfortunately wields a lot of power, has its say in the administration, has the say in all the aspects of the state but its not all powerful and is willing to work with a political party that is not just going to use it to punish journalists and political opponents but take care of the governance and build country's image through working for people and good diplomacy, if it was not willing to share or give up some of its powers to a democratic party then it would never bother with elections.
Solution?
Imran Khan still holds power in 2 provinces, he still has time to show to the public more than just power shows, sit ins and protest marches. He can show how fortunate KPK people are compared to people in Sindh through some relief and real improvement int he quality of life of the people not just fiery speeches.
so far his strategy has not worked and he has had to give new dates to his march of doom which the PDM has now started mocking. whataboutism wont sell anymore . cursing the establishment will also runout its sell value. while the establishment's people like Sheikh Rashid, Ch Fawad , Pervaiz Khattak and Shah Mehmood Qurashi etc. are still in PTI .. Imran should allow his well wishers to correct his path to self destruction and give a second thought to his past and present actions and most important thing is to change the habit of using establishment to punish his opponents and critics give KPK and Punjab voters something to . cheer on instead of using provincial machinery for his political protests, ditch the habit of all words no action and come up with practical plans to improve quality of life of Pakistanis
Couldn’t have said it better.
