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Is Imran Khan really Pakistan’s Donald Trump?

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Is Imran Khan really Pakistan’s Donald Trump?
MICHAEL KUGELMAN — PUBLISHED 13 MINUTES AGO
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It’s one thing to deal with a man often referred to as Im the Dim. It’s a very different thing altogether to deal with a man who merits the moniker of Donald the Dangerous.
In a recent Dawn op-ed, Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy argued that Imran Khan is the Donald Trump of Pakistan. I beg to differ.

Yes, there are many striking similarities between the two men. Both are celebrities-turned-politicians with sky-high egos.

Both espouse very conservative views and exploit the deep anti-government grievances of right-wing constituencies. And both are as far as one can possibly get from camera-shy wallflowers.

And yet, these convergences are merely superficial. In the end, the analogy simply doesn’t hold for me.

Political scale
First, Khan occupies a significant position in Pakistan’s political hierarchy. He’s elevated the PTI to great prominence in quite rapid fashion, and he boasts a track record of electoral success.

In short, Khan is a bonafide political star. Trump, to put it mildly, is not.

Trump is a wildly successful businessman, but he’s barely gotten his feet wet in politics. And don’t be fooled by his high-flying act as a leading Republican Party presidential candidate.

In US presidential campaigns, fringe candidates often ride on the coattails of populist anger to rush to the front of the pack early on, only to quietly fade away later on.

Naïve not nefarious
Second, Khan may harbour some misguided and troubling views (I’vewritten previously in this space about his disturbingly complacent attitudes toward anti-state militancy). Still, they pale in comparison to Trump’s. Trump says such outrageous things that he makes Khan sound like Abdul Sattar Edhi.

Let’s face it: Naya Pakistan may be naïve, but it is neither nasty nor nefarious.

It’s certainly fanciful to promise an end to corruption in 90 days, but it’s downright cruel and bordering on racism to call for a “Great Wall of Trump” to keep Mexican immigrants out of America.

Also, when was the last time we heard about a cancer hospital developed and funded by Trump — or, for that matter, about any type of Trump charitable project?

Trump claims to contribute to many different charities, and I’m quite sure he does. Yet, he’s no prodigious philanthropist. In fact, an investigationby The Smoking Gun website has concluded that Trump may be the “least charitable billionaire in the United States.”

The supporters
Third and finally, let’s consider the supporters of Khan and Trump.

Not to state the obvious, but there are many admirable and well-informed Insafians out there. Generally speaking, they are a well-intentioned (even if sometimes naïve) lot.

Yes, some will troll you viciously on Twitter. Some can be quite intense in person, too, and especially when railing about drones or other US-patented evils.

But even the most unpleasant Insafians can’t hold a candle to Trump’s partisans.

What’s so scary about Trump’s supporters is not necessarily what they say or do — but rather what they don’t say and don’t do.

It’s worth watching the video of Trump’s town hall meeting in New Hampshire a few days back. At one point, a supporter in the crowd asks, “when can we get rid of” Muslims. Trump’s response: “We’re going to be looking at that.”

This brief exchange was sickening enough. But so was the way in which the audience reacted — or more accurately, did not react.

From the time the question was posed to the time that Trump uttered his terse response, the people seated behind Trump barely batted an eyelid. They simply sat there; several appeared to be smiling.


It was as if the terrible things said in such a shocking back-and-forth were somehow commonplace, and didn’t merit one iota of concern.

Contrast this with Khan’s jalsas, when scores of supporters cheer him on as he thunders about drones or vote-rigging, or even when he grandstands atop a container while saying nasty things about Nawaz Sharif.

These supporters may be endorsing some questionable viewpoints and highly distasteful remarks, but at least they’re not acquiescing in the most base and ugly form of prejudice (this is not to say, alas, that all Khan supporters are unabashed champions of Pakistan’s imperiled religious minorities).

It’s one thing to deal with a man often referred to as Im the Dim. It’s a very different thing altogether to deal with a man who merits the moniker ofDonald the Dangerous.

Are there troubling dimensions to the politics of Imran Khan? Absolutely. But are they as troubling as the politics of Donald Trump?

Absolutely not.

So, who should be known as Pakistan’s Donald Trump? I’ll let others answer that question. At any rate, it’s not Imran Khan.
Email feedback and queries to Dawn.com's editorial team, or visit our contact page



Michael Kugelman is the senior program associate for South Asia at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, DC.

He can be reached at michael.kugelman@wilsoncenter.org or on Twitter @MichaelKugelman.

The views expressed by this writer and commenters below do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Dawn Media Group.
 
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When I read this article a couple of days ago, I thought he was referring to A.Q. Khan. Then it would have made complete sense. I didn't read the entire article.
 
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No there are stark differences. For one thing imran is well aware about the foreign affairs and foreign problems that must be dealt with while trump seems oblivious and sometimes downright ignorant. Imran maybe outspoken and crude but that more often than not remains at belittling and defaming his rivals and opposition. He has not made racist or crude remarks that will surprise a few even when he was giving a speech every day on that container.

Imran and trump are crude outspoken politicians but Imran is much much much better than trump both at diplomacy and political sensibility and that's saying something when some one says that Imran khan is much much much better at politics than you.
 
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Trump is a racist, intolerant bigot without an ounce of likeability and a face like he has piles.

I'd love to see that guy as Mr.President :usflag::partay:
 
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Both have a lot in common. both are completely by fay the biggest nonsense makers in the world politics today...

the biggest one both are flop movies in making.... if they happen to hit the theaters any time soon .....it will be the biggest disaster of the past 25 years..... 100%%%%%%%.......
 
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imran os PML-N phobia a crazy person . i never see he say something else then kursi kursi
 
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Imran khan ko baithay baithay PMLN kay maroar par jatay hein, He ruined his reputation by staging useless sitin over the wishes of some retired generals. Now the irony is a Military leader has become one of the most popular leader in the country while all he can do but fake praise him.
 
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Does Trump have a chance of winning?
Why not? The more ludicrous stuff he says, the higher his poll numbers go. Last week he claimed that he is running " the most successful presidential run ever" !!! Who knows he may be the next "leader of the free world". .,,God be merciful to th e free world!
 
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In Africa there is an understanding among the educated that they are different form the developed world. That they have a different culture, different environment, different situation etc. So they dont compare themselves to usa or europe. But Pakistanis have a habit of relating their things with phenomena found in America or Europe regardless of the fact that its a different world and Pakistan is more comparable to africa or india.
Take this case for example. No way on earth can Pakistani politics be compared to american. There system is well founded and vetted. Whereas in Pakistan it is chaotic and ad hoc.
 
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