Foolish frenzy
Imran Khan’s megalomania has rendered him incapable of conceiving a world where people may genuinely disagree with him. Anyone who dare voice opposition to him is immediately labelled a corrupt sell-out. The latest targets of Imran’s wrath are journalists and lawyers, both of whom have had the temerity not to buy into the PTI narrative wholesale. In Imran’s increasingly fevered imagination, talk-show hosts and anchors have been paid off by the government to turn against him. It is certainly true that quite a few in different segments of society may not be as pro-PTI now as they once were but, rather than pointing to bribes that don’t exist, Imran may consider looking inwards for the reasons behind that. As his protest has continued without seeming end, it is only natural that Imran’s aims and motivations will come under scrutiny. That does not mean the Intelligence Bureau has, as Imran claimed, bribed the journalistic community on behalf of the PML-N. The head of the IB has already denied doing so and, keeping in mind an earlier Supreme Court ruling banning the use of secret funds, it seems outside the realm of possibility that there is any truth to Imran’s burst of invective against journalists.
The same goes for his irresponsible allegations against the legal community. What started as unsubstantiated attacks on members of the Supreme Court now encompasses all the bar associations that protested against Imran’s rally. The president of the Lahore High Court Bar Association, Shafqat Mehmood Chohan, has been singled out as a recipient of PML-N money. Once again, as with all of Imran’s many accusations, there is not a shred of proof to back up his claims. Bar associations from Lahore to Peshawar have protested Imran’s actions and with his defamatory words there will be more counter-protests in the days ahead. The total amount Imran claims has been distributed by the government amounts to Rs250 million but, obviously, he does not explain the source of this charge and nor does he explain how he can prove it to anyone’s satisfaction. After Imran’s rally is over he may find that a lot of other individuals have joined Iftikhar Chaudhry in suing him for defamation. He tosses around the charge of bribery and corruption so freely without seeming to care that his words have real-life effects on the lives of those who have been accused. In seeking to build his crowd into a frenzy, Imran has hurt many innocents and should pay the price for it.
The Afghan crisis
Hamid Karzai has promised that his successor will take over in Afghanistan next week but the candidates in the disputed election seem to have other ideas. A second agreement between Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah has fallen apart after the latter refused to accede to a UN audit of the votes. By now it seems clear that even with a recount Ghani will win the run-off but Abdullah is not willing to concede defeat. Abdullah believes that many of the votes cast were fraudulent and is unhappy that the UN is accepting many ballots he thinks should be invalidated. The election saga has been going on for many months now and the instability is hurting Afghanistan. The Taliban, already poised to make territorial gains after the US begins withdrawing its troops at the end of the year, have become stronger with the Haqqani Network moving into the country to escape Pakistan’s military operation in North Waziristan. The Afghan army and police cannot be counted upon to tackle the insurgency since their low-paid forces often don’t do their job or cross over to the other side. The country has been mired in a civil war for many years and all signs are pointing to it intensifying amid the political uncertainty.
The most vexing aspect of the election saga is that both candidates largely agree on the future direction of the country. Ghani and Abdullah are both technocrats who want to reform the economy, take on the Taliban and sign a security agreement with the US to keep some troops around indefinitely after the withdrawal. The lame duck Karzai wanted to avoid making any commitments to the unpopular occupying force and left the decision to his successor. The fighting over the results of the election has led to an economic crisis with foreign investment drying up and the treasury running low on cash. Economic growth is actually predicted to be in the negative this year. With civil service and security forces’ salaries unable to be met there may be more defections to the Taliban and the warlords fighting it out for power in the country. For the sake of Afghanistan both candidates need to accept UN mediation and abide by its election audit. The identity of the next president isn’t as important as the urgent need for someone to take over from Karzai. Abdullah needs to understand this and stop his needless protest.
Return home
Professor Dr Ajmal Khan has finally returned home after what must have been a hellish four years in Taliban captivity. Dr Ajmal Khan, the vice chancellor of Islamia University in Peshawar was whisked away from the University Town area in 2010 with no signs of him appearing for years. Some 24 months after he had been taken away, the elderly academician, widely respected in the field had appeared in hazy video footage appealing for efforts to secure his release as quickly as possible given his deteriorating health and the conditions in which he was being held. Dr Khan was eventually rescued by security forces currently conducting an operation in North Waziristan. He has said that after being dragged into a vehicle, he was intoxicated and quickly taken away to a mountainous area. In exchange for his release, the Taliban had sought the freeing of four prisoners. This never happened and an ISPR statement confirms the professor has now been released by troops and brought back to Pakistan. We welcome Dr Khan home and can only be thankful that, according to his own account, he was not tortured and escaped death which has been inflicted on others held by militant outfits.
There is however a broader message to be learned. Dr Ajmal Khan was taken away from one of the most secure areas of Peshawar. His close family ties with the family of Asfandyar Wali Khan, could not help retrieve him, despite the fact that the ANP government was in power in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the time. All this just goes to show how hopeless we essentially are in the face of militancy and how easily groups like the Taliban can strike. The abduction of persons such as Dr Ajmal Khan of course presents a grave dilemma for authorities. While there is obvious pressure to secure their freedom, giving in to the demands of abductors would set an extremely dangerous precedent putting others at risk. Right now, we have other people who remain in captivity somewhere on our territory. They include the son of the late Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer, Shahbaz, the son of former prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, Ali Haider and US citizen Warren Weinstein. Almost nothing has been heard of these persons for several years now. Their disappearance makes it clear that safe hideouts used by the Taliban exist in our tribal areas and possibly other places. It is thought the militants may have links with groups that kidnap powerful individuals and then sell them to the militants in the hope they can be used in deals. The situation reflects the lawlessness that exists in our country. Right now, we can only hope the military operation underway in the north will help achieve an end to it and that other people will, like Dr Ajmal Khan, reunite with their families.
Published in The News, Sunday, August 31, 2014