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| From 'unpopular' prime minister to popular opposition leader: 'PDM played a key role in the popularity of Imran Khan's narrative' |
If there is one reason, it is inflation. Earlier, my house used to run with less money, but during the last year, our situation has become very bad. How long will we keep shouting slogans on an empty stomach?
According to Akram Masih, who was outside Zaman Park in Lahore, his family had been supporters of the Muslim League for the past two decades, but due to rising inflation and non-fulfillment of basic daily needs, they reconsidered their political commitment and now they are few. He has been supporting PTI for months.
When I asked Akram Masih from Drogawala, what will happen if Imran Khan comes to power again and fails to control inflation? Akram's simple answer to this was 'I think Imran Khan will not let me down'.
A year ago, as a result of the no-confidence motion, Imran Khan's government was brought to an end at a time when his popular popularity graph was at a very low level due to inflation in the country, and at that time the PDM leaders It was also claimed that now Imran Khan, his party and his politics will become a thing of the past.
However, today if we look back at the situation of the country during the last 12 months, it seems that the predictions of the PDM leaders have been proved wrong.
After the end of Imran Khan's government, by-elections were held on 37 seats of national and provincial assemblies in the country in the last year, out of which Tehreek-e-Insaf was successful in 28 seats.
And the inflation that saw Imran Khan's popularity decline till early last year has increased by around 23 percent under the PDM.
If we look at the data released by Pakistan Statistical Institute, it is known that at the end of March 2022, the rate of inflation in Pakistan was 12.7 percent, which has increased to 35.4 percent at the end of March 2023, and the same severe inflation rate. The wave has made a large number of people visibly disenchanted with the current government.
In this situation, the question arises as to how the chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf went from being an 'unpopular' prime minister to a 'popular' leader of the opposition after the no-confidence vote and how the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) DM) Why does it seem unable to challenge the narrative presented by Imran Khan?
Be it Imran Khan's 'external conspiracy' narrative or the mention of the main characters of the conspiracy changing roles every few months, all these claims and changing narratives do not seem to have any effect on his popularity.
According to political observers, after the government lost control, where there was a growing public interest in the allegations leveled by Imran Khan on various personalities and institutions, Imran Khan successfully used the 'conspiracy' narrative as his shield. And in the same period, the 'anti-establishment narrative' that was once considered the hallmark of Muslim League leader Nawaz Sharif was apparently adopted successfully by Imran Khan.
But what is the reason for this 'success'?
Speaking to BBC, journalist, and analyst Asim Naseer said that if we talk in simple words, whatever Imran Khan is selling at the moment is selling. He has decorated a political shop in which PDM itself played a key role in the popularization of Imran Khan's narrative.
He said that the way PDM is making "crude efforts" to "control" Imran Khan, Imran Khan is getting all the benefits. Be it the police raid on his house in Zaman Park or Imran Khan's online address to his workers while sitting with an empty shell of tear gas. All this is proving useful for him politically.
He gave an example and said that even when there were by-elections of 20 constituencies, Imran Khan was nowhere to be seen, while the condition of the Muslim League-Nawaz was that he got more self-confidence than he needed in Punjab.
He said that during this time the economic policies of the present government also showed their work. On the occasion of the elections, rising prices of petrol, and rising prices of the dollar, were all the factors on which Imran Khan made rising inflation a part of his political narrative.
PDM did not rush to expel Imran Khan from the government?
Ruhail Asghar, a member of the National Assembly of the ruling party Muslim League-Nawaz, does not agree with this. He told BBC that 'Pakistan was on the brink of collapse and if we had not removed Imran Khan from the government a year ago, it would have been impossible for the country to survive and it would have been a criminal act. '.
But during the last year, did the narrative of Muslim League-Nawaz fade away in front of Imran Khan's anti-establishment narrative?
Rohail Asghar does not agree with this and says that it is not so. The narrative of the Muslim League is completely different. Those against whom the Muslim League made its narrative have now all retired, gone to their homes, or died.
He clarified that the narrative of PML-N is still the same and that every institution should work within its limits and this is not wrong.
'Anti-Establishment Narrative'
It should be noted that Mian Nawaz Sharif, the leader of the Muslim League-Nawaz, was considered a great leader due to his anti-establishment narrative until a year before the end of Imran Khan's government.
According to Asim Naseer, "Most people were convinced that Nawaz Sharif has become a full-fledged leader and has learned from past mistakes." Then it happened that within a year, Muslim League-NawazHe was part of a few major parties that formed the government on the platform of PDM.
And then we saw that what was considered to be Nawaz Sharif's popular narrative, Imran Khan now began to speak with more intensity, as a result of which, probably for the first time in Pakistan, DGISI and the Public Relations Department of the Army The leaders had to hold a joint press conference to deny the allegations made by Imran Khan.
On this, Rohail Asghar said that Mian Nawaz Sharif's position was that the establishment should do its work, but like these people (PTI), we cannot defame the entire establishment. The whole organization is never corrupt, there are only a few people with whom there is disagreement.
Explaining the difference between Imran Khan's and Nawaz Sharif's narrative, he said that Imran Khan's narrative is actually 'based on lies'. "What happens is that something fabricated is made in front of the public and then the public is also simple and accepts these things."
He said that the biggest example of this is the cipher which was allegedly waved and made a big claim. Then it suddenly occurred to me that America has not done anything.
Rohail Asghar said that 'unfortunately, those who believe this narrative to be true are not ashamed even today.'
Now the debate on the elections is connected with this. Where a question is being asked whether Imran Khan will try to win the upcoming elections with his same narrative? And most importantly, if Imran Khan comes back to the government, will he control public problems such as inflation?
Imran Khan is eyeing the elections after getting some popular support after losing the government but on the other hand, PDM is against him.
When Rohail Asghar was asked how long will the government run away from the election? So he said that I laugh at this question. Political parties never run away from elections because if there are no elections, the purpose of the political party will be lost.
He said that the question is whether holding elections at this time is in the interest of the country. And the most important thing is, will anyone believe the election in two provinces? No one will believe it. Then what will be the benefit of holding elections? The need is to hold elections in the entire country at the same time.
However, during all this political wrangling, if anyone is suffering from inflation, it is the ordinary citizens.
Commenting on this whole situation, a housewife said that 'Neither those who came first nor those who came later did anything. What will the returnees do? No one cares about Pakistan's economic future or current situation. If you are concerned only about the chair, about your power.