What lies ahead

Prime Minister Imran Khan recently said that making U-turns is a hallmark of great leaders. Since then his party leaders, in an effort both hilarious and humiliating, have been at pains coming up with instances where other leaders have changed their positions or gone back on their word.

The ruling party’s opponents have obviously seized on this and said that PM Khan is conveniently equating lying with great leadership. Let’s however give PM Khan the benefit of doubt and assume that he meant that great leaders change their strategy or tactics at times due to changing conditions. Or, even more generously, that great leaders aren’t always able to fulfil all their promises due to unforeseen or adverse circumstances.

The problem, however, is not that great leaders – or in PM Khan’s case not-so-great leaders – aren’t allowed to change their mind. Everyone changes their mind sometimes. Rather, it’s the sheer magnitude of the number of times he’s changed tactics, strategies or gone back on his word that is worrisome. Far more than any current or former leader of Pakistan, you can’t rely on this prime minister’s word.

However more than most political leaders, PM Khan has followers who are very passionate about him and think he can do no wrong. Their narrative regarding the prime minister is entirely different from the one held by his adversaries, who, looking at his bombastic yet inconsistent rhetoric, never gave the PTI a chance to run a successful government.

The fan narrative is that he’s a bold and determined leader, who says what he thinks is right, is steadfast in his core beliefs and is fundamentally honest and earnest, with a rational plan to take Pakistan to greatness. The adversarial narrative is that he’s a charismatic leader whose determining characteristics are his lust for power (saying or doing anything to be in power), staggering hypocrisy (holding others to impossible standards while giving himself and friends a free pass) and believing in and peddling falsehoods and simplistic notions of governance.

However, it is those thoughtful and decisive people in the middle, through whose support and votes Khan assumed power, and who were very hopeful at the PTI’s election, that are the pivotal judges of the PTI’s performance and whose inclination will lead to one dominant narrative emerging about PM Khan and the PTI.

And as we reach the 100-day mark of the PTI government, this decisive swing group now seems a little uncertain about this prime minister, and disappointed at the direction the PTI is charting for our country. There are unfortunately not a lot of positives that give us confidence.

Take one of the most important distinction then opposition leader Khan made with other political parties: that he would choose the best possible team to run Pakistan, based on no consideration other than merit, and certainly not nepotism.

I hate using him as the poster boy for misplaced priorities, but no discussion about the PTI’s team can take place without starting with the most important choice PM Khan has made: Chief Minister of Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar, holding the second most important political post in the country. Is he really worthy of carrying forward the aspirations of the people of Punjab?

And, whereas it is true that the PPP and the PML-N had more relatives in important positions than happens in Western democracies (as PM Khan would never tire of telling us) but let’s look at this PTI government. PM Khan’s children have lived mostly abroad, and he doesn’t have many family members around him. But his primary support system has always been his important friends, and they are having a field day. From Chico Jahangir (the high school graduate who declined his position as SAPM on Overseas Investment only after media scrutiny) to Zulfi Bukhari to Aun Chaudhry, PM Khan’s friends, whose only qualification is their enabling friendship with the prime minister, have overturned the notion of merit. This then raises the question among thoughtful people that after campaigning against nepotism all these years, isn’t it hypocritical of the prime minister to give such important positions to his personal friends? And what about the relatives of other senior PTI leaders who are in important positions? Doesn’t that qualify as nepotism?

Possibly the biggest campaign promise by the PTI was its abhorrence of corruption. We heard and keep hearing about it ad nauseum. And yet we see Jahangir Tareen, even after being disqualified by the Supreme Court, still in the thick of things in Punjab. (A lot of people think that he is the most able person in the party and is more knowledgeable about the economy, industry and agriculture than anyone; yet no one should be indispensable). We see Aleem Khan, Babar Awan, Azam Swati and a host of others, all accused of corruption, holding important positions. Again if corruption is Pakistan’s biggest problem and if you are allergic to it, then why have these people around you? Is this not a double standard? Or was corruption made an issue just to get into power?

Austerity and simplicity were other important pillars of the PTI’s narrative. PM Khan said in his post-election speech, made from his large estate in Bani Gala, that he would feel embarrassed to live in a palatial home while being the prime minister of a poor country. Even the cynics among us gave him credit. But then his decision to live within the PM House compound, albeit in a smaller home, and the decision to travel several times a week to his estate on a helicopter with his pet dog in tow, raised eyebrows. Can you imagine the fuss the PTI would’ve kicked up if PM Nawaz Sharif had used the government helicopter for his family pets? Isn’t it hypocritical to say that PM Sharif living in the PM House was ostentatious but then not feel embarrassed to have your own dog ferried in a government helicopter?

For the last five years, the PTI talked about bringing back $200 billion of the nation’s looted wealth from abroad and taunted the PML-N for being hand in glove with those who looted that wealth. Then within a few weeks of coming into power they said there was no money stashed to begin with. Did they apologise to the PML-N whom they falsely accused of helping the looters keep their wealth abroad? Did they apologise to the nation for misleading it? If not an apology, is there at least a sense of remorse within the PTI for this falsehood?

What about the $10 billion in supposed money laundering that the PTI claims happened every year on the PML-N’s watch due to government negligence? Has the new government been able to take any step to stop it in these months? A single step? If not, then were these claims bogus as well?

I think that these 100 days have given the people of Pakistan a flavour of things to come. And it seems to me that the biggest problem facing Pakistan during the next few years is going to be the lies believed and told by this government.

The writer has served as federal minister for finance, revenue and economic Affairs.

Twitter: @MiftahIsmail