Blind Optimism

For the naysayers, it is ignorant, at worst, and idealistic, at best, to assume that a leader more popular than Imran Khan might emerge from within Pakistanis in the foreseeable future, and most definitely not for as long as Khan lives, for his historically patriotic past is a testament to his unwavering commitment to foster the country’s prosperity and self-determination. The crux of his leadership lies in the very belief that Pakistan was founded on, that is, to be independent of all entities except Allah, thereby refraining from becoming a playground for proxy wars, unlawful and un-Islamic practices, and cultivating national growth.

But for Pakistanis, the head that wears the crown is seldom the popular choice; rather, it is the powerful who seize it, for that power is vested by external forces and implements decision-making, which eventually insinuates a change within the country for the better or worse. For as long as Pakistanis have known, the crown has been usurped by the Establishment, and only Khan ventured to seek its resting place and question its authenticity. His intentions to enter the political realm had stemmed from his desire to help his country and all his previous endeavors, from winning the 1992 Cricket World Cup to building the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre and the Namal Colleges to then partaking in the Buksh Foundation to light up villages, bare witness to his rightful title as the ‘Son of Pakistan.’

Upon its conception in 1996, Khan’s ‘Tehreek-e-Insaaf’ (Movement towards Justice) also intended to walk the same line whereby it questioned corruptive practices within the country and eventually broke the 30-year-long dynastic Bhutto-Sharif merry-go-round of governance that was deteriorating Pakistan’s growth. After successfully being elected as the Prime Minister of Pakistan in 2018, both by electoral and popular choice, Khan began to clean the books. He limited defense spending, increased tax collection, began a renewable energy transition, and launched the ‘Ehsaas Programme’ and ‘Plant for Pakistan.’ Despite all these ventures further plunging the country into excessive inflation and worsening economic conditions, it was Khan’s audacity to inherently alter the country’s foreign policy that absolutely threatened the Establishment and led him to become ‘Qaidi # 804’ in the infamous Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.

Nonetheless, one cannot claim that Khan’s efforts are to no avail as they have surely ignited a fire within the youth, a burning conscience that resists our reality: that even after gaining independence in 1947, we are still slaves ruled by an authority that demands our acquiescence. Despite being in jail for almost a year, the core of Khan’s popularity lies in his curiosity to question the authority of governance within Pakistan and his call for “Haaq” (Truth), which questions the monarchic nature of the exchange of power in a so-called democratic country. Unquestionably, Khan’s narrative has helped Pakistanis think critically, not only about their nation but also about their contribution to this nation they call home.