Col (r) Ikram Ullah Khan
There is a famous English saying which goes: “At the end of the day, one’s chickens come home to roost”. This proverb comes true when applied to Mr Sohail Afridi, the ex-chief minister of Khyber Pakthunkhwa.
Afridi’s political debacle didn’t come as a bolt from the blue. The situation had been brewing since long which finally set the stage for the imposition of governor rule/emergency. The confrontational politics adopted by Mr Afridi ended in a political fiasco for PTI.
He failed to appreciate the inevitable that was destined to happen given his immature and impulsive political rhetoric bequeathed to him by his leader against the State. He failed to understand that if you spit at the moon, it will only fall back on your own face.
Following in the footsteps of his political guide/mentor, Mr Afridi aided and encouraged by the hawkish elements surrounding him, gave a free reign to his tongue and said what anyone with even a modicum of wisdom and sanity would eschew. He chose to fight a losing battle against the State which finally led to his unceremonious ouster.
Before the imposition of governor rule, there was a general perception in the PTI that the State didn’t have the courage to impose governor rule/emergency, and if at all it happens, public will be up in arms against it, but to their utter dismay that didn’t happen. Conversely, people were found celebrating it and distributing sweets.
It seems Mr Afridi had long decided to sacrifice himself at the altar of his boss and mentor. I vividly remember what he said immediately after taking over as CM. He said and I quote: “Mai ishq-e-Imran mai mara jaounga” (I would get killed in the love of Imran). So he finally, kicked the bucket and jumped into the deep gorge which he had inadvertently chosen for himself.
Had Mr Afridi listened to the sane elements having moderate views and reconciliatory approach in the party, he would have adopted a rational approach, focused on core issues facing the province like terrorism, health, education, social welfare, development of communication infrastructure, etc, and would have used the government resources judiciously on public welfare instead of squandering it on agitational politics like protests, sit-ins and long marches that fetched nothing but a political disaster for PTI at the end of the day.
The hawkish elements ruling the roost in the PTI not only prodded but also pressured Sohail Afridi to adopt a confrontational strategy that ended in a political debacle. Mr Afridi and his like-minded associates kept themselves recklessly busy in digging a deep pit they finally fell into.
With the imposition of emergency/governor rule in the province, PTI has lost not only the provincial government but its political bastion, i.e. Peshawar too, thereby emasculating its overall political strength across the country. When immature and emotional elements are made to occupy the driving seat, this is what happens. It appears that Mr Afridi and his associates haven’t learnt any lesson from the political faux pas made by their leader in the past.
As for the new provincial set up, it’s not going to be a bed of roses for governor Faisal Karim Kundi and his advisory council. Public seems to have responded positively in the hope that the new set might bring peace and stability in the province, fight a conclusive battle against terrorism and purge the province of this menace once and for all. Besides, people expect the new government of Faisal Karim Kundi to bring transparency in the governance, eradicate corruption and favouritism, hold those involved in corruption and misuse of public money accountable, focus on welfare measures and development projects needing immediate attention.
It will be a litmus test for the governor and his team. An appreciable improvement in governance and perceptible change in the overall environment is expected from the government of Faisal Karim Kundi as people are pinning lot of hopes on the new administration and seem to have adopted a “wait-and-see” policy.