Lessons to learn

Though the days leading up to the polls saw unfortunate incidents of violence, the elections were largely peacefully held, thanks to the army’s assistance.

As was to be expected, those who lost immediately started claiming that rigging had taken place. Such has been our history, and to some extent it is true.

Returning officers, tehsildars, patwaris, commissioners, deputy commissioners, assistant commissioners, SHOs etc, all have an important part to play in the elections. The actual election results were more or less as expected. However, some big shots were bowled out.

In many verses of the Holy Quran, the Almighty has told us that He gives respect to whomever He pleases and disgraces whomever He pleases. I would like to wholeheartedly congratulate Imran Khan and his party on their victory. Imran Khan’s single-mindedness and perseverance has paid dividends, even if one does not necessarily agree with his methods of achieving those dividends. The same single-mindedness, perseverance and conviction drove the founding fathers of Pakistan, and also drove us, to achieve our goals, come what may.

Imran Khan had once before proved his determination and planning strategies when he won the cricket World Cup for Pakistan in 1992. He then set his mind to fighting corruption with great passion. He never struck compromises with tainted politicians. It was an uphill struggle, but he ultimately won. He saw some some dark days during this long struggle and some opponents even stooped to dirty tricks and personal attacks, but his voters were not deceived. They voted out all former leaders who did not do anything for their constituencies and who looted and plundered the country.

Imran Khan graduated from Oxford and during his years in the UK as a famous cricketer, he moved among the elite of the UK and other countries as the husband (now ex) of Jemima Goldsmith. He was the chancellor of Bradford University, and set up a university in Mianwali. Above all, he set up a world-class cancer hospital in Lahore and a smaller facility in Peshawar. He definitely has many difficulties to face in the future, but if he puts competent people in the right places, he will succeed.

Imran Khan must, at all costs, avoid the nepotism and sycophancy exercised by his predecessors. To give but one example, in Lahore, a BSc in Mechanical Engineering was given the portfolio of health just because he happened to be the brother of a PML-N MNA. Hundreds of qualified and competent doctors were ignored for the post. In fact, such cases of nepotism should be held up as examples to avoid.

One hopes that Imran Khan will not indulge in gimmicks. There are various ways of enforcing austerity. While one can understand his wish to not live in the PM House, the place is still the dignified symbol of a nuclear country. Moreover, there are many people working there who need the jobs to support their large families. The salaries of fifty to a hundred workers probably do not amount to more than the salary of a public organisation’s management, which would be Rs1.5 to 2 million.

We are a large country, a nuclear power, and should not project ourselves as an underdeveloped country. The Almighty has blessed Imran Khan with success, but with success comes great responsibility and major problems, such as corruption, an ineffective education sector and an ailing economy. We have all read and heard how a former finance secretary, accused of committing mega corruption, was granted bail, while pickpockets and petty thieves languish in jail for years.

We should also be wary of ‘foreign friends’ coming with best wishes. They usually have their own hidden agendas. Borrowing money from the World Bank and the IMF – which have their own agendas, and do not necessarily have our interests at heart – has often led to the downfall of our economy. Our own expatriates should be asked to send money to salvage our economy and we should learn to live within our means and avoid excessive borrowing.

If asked, I can help the PTI government improve the quality of education, in general, and science and technology, in particular. As my qualification, I can quote having been instrumental in setting up GIK in Swabi, a world-class institute. Furthermore, I have studied at the famous Technical University of Berlin (Germany), the Technological University, in Delft (Holland) and the University of Leuven (Belgium) – all three of the universities have put my name on their websites as being one of their distinguished alumni.

Everyone knows that together with a team of competent and dedicated colleagues, we turned Pakistan into a nuclear power within a short span of seven years using the most modern centrifuge method (which some intellectuals tauntingly calling it various names). The Kahuta Research Laboratories is still one of the best and most advanced organisations of Pakistan.

Nawaz Sharif and his sycophant cronies have been given the judgement by the voters. We know that the Almighty abhors and detests arrogance. Therefore, nobody, not even Nawaz Sharif’s worst enemies, should rejoice at his downfall. They should instead try and learn from his mistakes and avoid making the same ones. The Almighty forgives (elevates in status) whom He pleases and punishes (disgraces) whom He pleases.

Nawaz Sharif surrounded himself with cronies who were not necessarily competent or honest, but were ‘yes-men’ willing to obey all orders. Nawaz Sharif’s minister for planning made a mess of the job. Someone who had no experience in running even a retail outlet was made responsible for running a country of 220 million. He was also arrogant and there are warnings against this in Surahs Nahl, Zumar, Ahqaf, Infifar, Bani Israil, Momin, Najm, Qamar etc. Take heed, Imran Khan, and good luck for the future. God knows the country needs it.

Email: dr.a.quadeer.khan@gmail.com