There are no two opinions about the fact that the country is caught in the whirlpool of political instability. For an honest and anodyne observer, the situation is a sequel to the unconstitutional, illegal, undemocratic, and immoral pursuits of a self-proclaimed reformer and narcissist who cannot look beyond his nose. Of course, it is Imran Khan.
It is a proven fact that the major responsibility for the economic woes the country is enduring at the moment rests on his shoulders. He excelled in all those evils that he had been allegedly attributing to the previous regime. On the economic front, his government was a complete failure. He used to ridicule and accuse the PML (N) government of the national swelling debt and abhorred the prospect of going to the IMF. But his regime took unprecedented loans during three half years which constituted 80% of the debt taken by the country during the last seventy years. It approached the IMF and signed the agreement on very tough conditions.
However, at the end of its curtailed tenure, he deliberately defied the commitment of the IMF to further raise the prices of utilities and end subsidies, which was not honourable conduct by his regime. By doing so he laid a mine for the succeeding regime. As far as inflation is concerned, it was already skyrocketing during his era and the people were heard praying for his fall. His action not to fulfil the commitment to IMF left the incumbent regime with no other choice than to raise the prices of utilities and curtail subsidies to get further tranches from the IMF and to avoid impending default. Imran undoubtedly is the architect of the economic crisis which will not be easy for the incumbent government to fix within a short period. However, it is amazing to note that after his exit from power he is blaming the PDM regime for all the economic difficulties the country is confronted with.
The PDM regime is bearing the brunt of the wrong economic policies of the PTI government and the treacherous decision by it to retract from commitments to the IMF. The situation has been further aggravated by the economic scenario at the global level and the devastating floods that have hit the country inflicting an estimated loss of $30 billion. These circumstances are beyond the control of the government.
However, it is encouraging to note that it has taken bold initiatives to fix economic aberrations without fearing their political cost. Friendly countries have come forward to support the government in stemming the economic wrought. The international community has also given a positive response to help the government in dealing with flood-related problems. The UN is also taking the initiative to garner further support from the international community. Hopefully, it would go a long way in mitigating the debilitating impact of floods. The PDM regime, particularly Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, deserves credit for his diplomatic efforts to enlist international support in this regard.
No doubt that the people are groaning under the impact of hydra-headed inflation but they need to understand the dynamics of the situation. It is indeed a hard time for the country and the regime needs their support to collectively fight the economic challenges.
A look at Imran’s claim of building a Madina like a state is also necessary to educate the people on his credentials and actions in this respect. A few questions need to be asked. Did the builder of this state ever involve his opponents in false cases or practice political vendetta? Did he use abusive language against his opponents and urged his followers to indulge in similar pursuits? Did he take U-turns on everything that he said or promised? I am sure for every conscientious person the answers will be negative.
It is a proven fact that Imran instituted false cases against his opponents as is evident by the acquittal of PML (N) leader Ahsan Iqbal by the IHC in the corruption reference filed by NAB. The framing of Rana Sanaullah in a fake drug case is yet another ranting truth about Imran’s dubious credentials. It is pertinent to mention that the SC and High Courts while hearing cases filed by NAB are on record to have remarked that it was being used for political engineering. Several other leaders and functionaries of PDM parties have also been cleared of corruption charges. The incidents of attack on Balochistan House by the PTI leaders and followers, heckling of Ahsan Iqbal and late Marriyum Aurangzeb in London and the use of abusive language against her by PTI supporters is enough to prove the culture of violence and intolerance that Imran has been preaching.
One of the Individuals who writes a weekly column in a national daily to portray the PDM leaders in dismal colours and condemn them for their alleged corruption, referring to the performance of the current regime remarked in his column “The vicious circus that has gone on in the country over the last few months is both bewildering and worrisome. For such has been its wickedness and its divorce of everything righteous that it shames those who still have an appetite for morality and who speak out their mind whenever and wherever doing so is felt essential”.
The fact that such views are expressed by the so-called intellectual and followers of Imran, notwithstanding the foregoing facts raises the question of whether any grain of appetite for morality is left in them. What is holy about the man? What Imran is doing is power politics at its worst. The country needs political stability to be capable of fixing the maladies afflicting the economic and political landscape. It cannot be done with a magic wand or the miracles which are only a myth.