Where is Imran wrong?

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) elections on June 11, 2017 will be different from the one held in 2013, after its founding chairman, Imran Khan, announced that he would lead Imran's Panel, making little room for any other group to challenge him. How much will it help making the party democratic?

Though it is true that the upcoming PTI elections will be more or less an excise in futility to fulfil the requirements of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), it could be more democratic and in accordance with the PTI constitution.

Imran, a charismatic leader who has attracted a large number of new voters, particularly among the youth, once had very devoted team who had joined the PTI for a change.

Therefore, when he first announced the party elections in 2012-13, everyone was excited and the move also exerted pressure on other parties to hold elections.

Irrespective of the outcome and allegations in 2013 elections, the PTI created history as never in Pakistan's political history any party held elections in which over two million voters had cast their votes.

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) is the only party which holds internal elections, but because of its strict discipline its voters’ strength is very limited and easily managed.

If founding members like Hamid Khan dissents from Imran Khan on the party elections and has a different group within, also feels dejected. It’s time for Imran Khan to review his party politics.

The PTI emerged as a strong force after 2011 grand public meeting at Minar-e-Pakistan. As expected many ‘electables’ and opportunists known as 'status quo politicians’, joined the PTI. Today, once again the leftovers of other parties are joining the PTI, as they feel Imran has a chance in the next elections. These include politicians with highly controversial track record.

Thus, it clearly reflected in party and Imran's approach towards internal elections. Perhaps, he doesn't want much infighting before the next general elections and understandably, so. But, will it help him build a different and a democratic party compared with the PML-N and the PPP, its two main rivals.

PTI's Central Executive Committee (CEC) last week announced elections for the top tiers on June 11, for which the party constitution and election rules would be amended to make elections a lot more different from the last ones.

According to a senior party leader, in order to avoid too many allegations and problems, the votes will be for the panel not for candidates. There are some 2.3 million voters, who will case their votes through SMS.

I wonder why he is sacred of repeating 2013 formula. The PTI constitution also allows the chairman to nominate at least 25 per cent seats in the Central Executive Committee, and also nominate any officer-bearer, in case someone resigns or is sacked.

One is ready to give benefit of doubt to Imran, that at a time when general elections are due in 2018, if not held earlier, he cannot afford serious internal conflict, which already exists in all the four provinces, particularly in Punjab, Sindh and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. In KP, because of the PTI government, Pervez Khattak has a complete hold over the party. We are still an immature democracy, but also not ready to become mature.

In Punjab, many dissidents have already decided to boycott the elections, saying it is unconstitutional while in Sindh including Karachi, the PTI has the weakest organisation despite the presence of founding members like Dr Arif Alvi, Imran Ismail and Asad Umar.

Talking to some of the senior party leaders, it was revealed that unlike in the past, this time Imran will announce his panel, which will include most of the sitting leaders and more or less for same positions, which will practically diminish any chances of 'repeat of 2013 problems.

As situation stands today, the party is not holding elections at the grassroots or union council levels, but only for the top positions. While Imran is certain to get re-elected as chairman unopposed, there is very unlikely that opposition group within the PTI, led by Hamid Khan and others, may challenge Imran Khan panel.

Imran, in the last elections, had not announced his own panel, and left the elections open because he himself had said, 'I wanted free and fair elections and never tried to influence the polls.'

This new or ad hoc formula of elections will practically kill the competition within the party. Imran has his own justification as he believes that in the last party elections many controversial people got themselves elected. He was particularly disappointed with the outcome in Punjab, where Imran did not want any 'infighting' this time. But, is this a democratic approach?

In 1987, a year after Benazir Bhutto returned from self exile, she tried her luck and announced party elections. There were lot of enthusiasm as for the first time the formula of one man one vote was adopted. But, after the results some of her 'advisers' advised her not to follow this practice as wrong people would get elected. Thus, proper elections were never held in the PPP.

In 2016, Bilawal Bhutto also wanted proper party elections and, for the first time, nominations were invited and wherever there were more than one candidates, secret ballot was also held. But, in Karachi, where Dr Asim Hussain, was not even the candidate was given preference over other three and nominated Karachi division president.

Whoever has given Imran an idea to announce his own panel is neither his 'friend' nor sincere with the PTI. Despite allegations of Jehangir Tareen or Aleem Khan, the fact remains that PTI's elections have become a 'talking point' and young girls and boys fully participated in the polls.

It is true that party's first Election Commission, retired Justice Wahijuddin gave a very tough ruling against some of Imran's favourites like Jehangir Tareen. His other disappointment came with the second EC, Mr Tasneem Noorani, who even resigned before going to polls.

There are also reports that the PTI will also amend the party constitution and election rules before the party elections. The new PTI Election Commissioner, Senator Azam Swati, who himself had joined the party three years back, remained quite controversial in the last party elections.

Though Imran still believes that he is all for change and with the passage of time would change the party system as well, the big question will be whether he would quit the party's top slot, in case the PTI wins the general elections. And as promised by him sometime back in his interview with this writer, that party office-holders would quit in case they held government positions. How far this practice is followed in KP? If not, why?

The PTI is a popular party and Imran Khan is, without any doubt, a popular leader. But, he has now been fully surrounded by the status quo politicians. Some of them have their own qualities and capabilities as well. But, he must also know that status quo politicians are not committed to party's ideology. If they could joined the PTI, leaving PPP, PML-N, Functional League or JUI, JI etc., tomorrow, they can also leave the PTI.

So, it is time for Imran not only to reorganise himself but also the party on principles on which the PTI became an alternative to the PPP, and second largest party, not the amount of seats it got but the number of votes.

The possible Imran panel will have Mr Jehangir Tareen, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Aleem Khan, Murad Saeed, Pervez Khattak, Dr Arif Alvi, Asad Umar (if he agreed), as key office-bearers. Sources also suggest that Imran may also try to include leaders of 2013 dissident groups led by Hamid Khan in his panel.

He has been party chairman since 1996, when party was formally launched. He must start looking for an alternative chairman as well, someone who had been committed with party's basic principles, policies and constitution. This is what democracy is all about; something has been missing in other national parties like the PPP and the PML-N.

  The writer is a senior columnist and analyst of Geo, The News and Jang.

Twitter: @MazharAbbasGEO