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Imran Khan’s public rally in Lahore on Sunday was a stunning event. No one alleges that the massive crowd was “incentivised” to come to the rally. Something is stirring, for sure. Whether this is a tipping point in Pakistani politics is premature to say. Politics is a rough game in Pakistan - even more than in India - and Khan’s charisma may not suffice to convert the mass disaffection into votes. But three things emerge.
The establishment parties - PPP and PML(N) - seem rattled. They have tried to mock at Khan, belittling his leadership qualities, but they are already visibly nervous. Their lips are quivering. They seem conscious of their inability to inspire the people, let alone electrify, the way Khan seems able to do. So, if Khan goes on a civil disobedience movement, all bets are off. Second, Khan is being taken seriously by the international community. New York Times carefully noted his ’soaring popularity’ and Pew already reckons him to be Pakistan’s “most popular political figure.”
Interestingly, Beijing, which has the wherewithal (and the motivation) to feel the pulse of its all-weather friend at any given time, would like to take a good close look at Khan. After the rally Sunday, he emplaned for China at the invitation of the Chinese government. Before doing so, he pledged to regard Pakistan’s friendship with China as precious as the apple of the eye.
Finally, all this is going to make things much, much tougher for the US in Afghanistan. Khan is shifting gear just as the US is down on its knees pleading with the Pakistani military to somehow “squeeze” the Haqqanis to persuade them to come to the negotiating table. On the other hand, Khan virtually ensures that Pakistani military’s unilateral ‘ceasefire’ in the war on terror becomes a permanent ceasefire and that all that is left for the US is to learn to come to terms with it. Paradoxically, Khan helps the Pakistani government to withstand the US’s pressures to “do more” in the war.
Historically, therefore, Khan’s place is secure in the annals of our subcontinent. Single-handedly, he may be bringing the Afghan war to an end. He put it nicely with a political maturity that belies his critics and detractors: Khan said he wants to be friendly toward the US and so he would like to help them gracefully withdraw their troops from Afghanistan and leave the region.
Imran Khan’s public rally in Lahore on Sunday was a stunning event. No one alleges that the massive crowd was “incentivised” to come to the rally. Something is stirring, for sure. Whether this is a tipping point in Pakistani politics is premature to say. Politics is a rough game in Pakistan - even more than in India - and Khan’s charisma may not suffice to convert the mass disaffection into votes. But three things emerge.
The establishment parties - PPP and PML(N) - seem rattled. They have tried to mock at Khan, belittling his leadership qualities, but they are already visibly nervous. Their lips are quivering. They seem conscious of their inability to inspire the people, let alone electrify, the way Khan seems able to do. So, if Khan goes on a civil disobedience movement, all bets are off. Second, Khan is being taken seriously by the international community. New York Times carefully noted his ’soaring popularity’ and Pew already reckons him to be Pakistan’s “most popular political figure.”
Interestingly, Beijing, which has the wherewithal (and the motivation) to feel the pulse of its all-weather friend at any given time, would like to take a good close look at Khan. After the rally Sunday, he emplaned for China at the invitation of the Chinese government. Before doing so, he pledged to regard Pakistan’s friendship with China as precious as the apple of the eye.
Finally, all this is going to make things much, much tougher for the US in Afghanistan. Khan is shifting gear just as the US is down on its knees pleading with the Pakistani military to somehow “squeeze” the Haqqanis to persuade them to come to the negotiating table. On the other hand, Khan virtually ensures that Pakistani military’s unilateral ‘ceasefire’ in the war on terror becomes a permanent ceasefire and that all that is left for the US is to learn to come to terms with it. Paradoxically, Khan helps the Pakistani government to withstand the US’s pressures to “do more” in the war.
Historically, therefore, Khan’s place is secure in the annals of our subcontinent. Single-handedly, he may be bringing the Afghan war to an end. He put it nicely with a political maturity that belies his critics and detractors: Khan said he wants to be friendly toward the US and so he would like to help them gracefully withdraw their troops from Afghanistan and leave the region.