ISLAMABAD: Is the route of PTI in the Punjab and vanishing from Sindh scene the first sign of the party’s downfall? If it is, it is historically too early and too sad, for, a big segment of Pakistani population had attached high hopes to this party’s very attractive agenda of breaking the status quo and breaking away from the feudal-industrialist dominance in politics by giving a clean administration and making country economically self-reliant rather than holding a begging bowl. Imran Khan may blame his comrades for the routing of his party but he should first make accountable himself for misjudgment, carefree attitude and betraying those founding party leaders who had helped him grow to reach the top and attain the status of biggest opposition party. Imran Khan’s overjoy at big rallies made him arrogant and over-confident which has not paid off. The PML-N which was struggling to keep its popularity graph has been provided a readymade pedestal due to this over confidence and arrogance and analysts were right in predicting that if this situation continued no one could stop the PML-N despite all its failures from retaining power beyond 2018, since its other contestant — the PPP — has fallen apart from inside becoming a regional party thriving on Sindh card going down in all other provinces. By the way why no one has accepted responsibility for the PTI’s doom taking example from Shafqat Mehmood who stepped down accepting his failure to deliver and give party the desired results in the local government polls as district organizer of Lahore. If the present state of affairs continues, no one can stop the rot and a complete whitewash in second and third phase of the elections for local councils. Imran Khan’s PTI seems to be in disarray, internally and externally, while he is keeping guarded mum. Will he listen to his well-wishers and now purge the party in accordance with the recommendations that the retired justice Wajihuddin Ahmed had made with regard to involvement in electoral corruption during intra party polls by major party players? Or, will he get rid of the politicians who are burden on the party and have failed to deliver. What is reason for responsible Punjab leaders remaining at the party helm after failing to achieve any success in the first phase of local government polls losing initiative as well as the prestige of the party? Why some of these leaders kept themselves aloof from NA 122 by-polls and then remained hidden from the public eye during whole local bodies polls campaign? Imran Khan has not spoken about the routing of his party in the Punjab and nonexistence in Sindh so far and his opponents attribute his silence to his sad mood fresh from saying good-bye to his ten-month-old spouse Reham Khan. There are reports about Punjab responsible leaders’ exit from the party, as they were unhappy with the way the party was being run. Is it not opportune time for IK to get rid of these leaders for their uselessness for the party before they ditch him, said a party sympathizer?
