{"id":192557,"date":"2018-08-05T00:00:23","date_gmt":"2018-08-04T18:30:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=192557"},"modified":"2018-08-10T12:18:54","modified_gmt":"2018-08-10T06:48:54","slug":"imran-khans-victory-throws-liberals-a-life-line","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/imran-khans-victory-throws-liberals-a-life-line\/","title":{"rendered":"Imran Khan\u2019s Victory Throws Liberals A Life-Line"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Kumar David<\/a> –<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Prof. Kumar David<\/p><\/div>\n

Pakistan\u2019s military must be dethroned to normalise the Subcontinen:\u00a0Imran Khan\u2019s victory throws liberals a life-line<\/strong><\/p>\n

At last something for our straw-clutching liberals to cheer about; a specimen of unimpeachable genre and Oxonian vintage, a gentleman to the tips of his fingers and squeaky clean to boot. In 2010 he was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. The family was affluent and of Pashtun ethnicity though I think not of noble ancestry; but who cares, he has done the liberals proud. I am not one of their dying breed but Imran has something to fete me too; his father, Ikramullah was a civil engineer who graduated from Imperial College \u2013 good school, I can vouch for that!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Good hard-hitting left-liberalism; his pep talk speaks<\/a> a lot about the poor. His non-cricketing record is more about social-work and building hospitals (he raised more than $25 million from all over the world for a cancer hospital) than anything a UNP or SLFP\/SLPP bum or leader has done. But there is no denying he did indulge in a bit of painting in his youth; the colour was red, the canvas was the town. The handsome Khan<\/a> renders the visage of a president much in the news these days for serial philandering look like a pig\u2019s arse. I am not going all gooey liberal; there is indeed a darker side. It is Imran\u2019s alliance with religious right-wing parties and the hardly concealed warmth of the military that upsets his liberal fans. To explain it away as just anti-Americanism, Pashtun genes and a fiercely independent personality ignores that these ghosts of past alliances and the Judas kiss of the military could prove his undoing one day. But heaven forbid; these days we need to grab at every liberal straw.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Imran called liberals \u201cfascists and scums\u201d for cheering American policy in Afghanistan and supporting drone and ground assaults on militants in the border regions. Nevertheless the liberals are over the moon and mass expectations are that the new broom will sweep away the muck of the past. Similar expectations in Lanka post 8 January 2015 were beyond the ability of the Ranil-Sirisena duumvirate to fulfil and the 10 February 2018 flop was spectacular. The expectations and the snares facing Imran are eerily similar. The eye-catching motif of his campaign was \u201cdefeat and eliminate corruption\u201d. Failure to prosecute and incarcerate Rajapaksa era crooks was the rock on which Yahapalana<\/i> was shipwrecked. However there is hope Imran will do better. He fired 20 provincial MPs found guilty of corruption; in the UNP, SLPP or SLFP, perish such thoughts, pariahs invariably are in the scrum for cabinet posts!<\/p>\n

Disputing the legitimacy of the election is the universal drivel of a losing side anywhere in the world, but a European Union monitoring team did say that the campaign featured a \u201clack of equality\u201d, meaning it was not a level playing field. The EU mission, but did not allege fraud in voting or counting procedures but did complain about an uneven playing field during the campaign and noted that \u201cduring counting, security personnel recorded and transmitted the results, giving the impression of a parallel tabulation\u201d. FAFEN, an independent Pakistani election observer network was unsatisfied with counting procedures. Imran has said his party will cooperate with any investigation.<\/p>\n

The eleven point centrist agenda<\/b><\/p>\n

Here is the centrist programme of PTI or Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf<\/i> (Movement for Justice); the name has a liberal twang like that of the late Rev. Sobith\u2019s outfit. The summary is culled from several sources. Readers will observe the big basket of goodies but proof of the pudding remains in the eating. This summary is for your interest; I am not vouching for any of it.<\/p>\n

Education:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

PTI will invest more in education, and implement a standard, high quality education system across Pakistan. No country can flourish without emphasis on education. The Asian Tigers educated children and adults. Half Punjab\u2019s budget is spent in Lahore alone. Countries don\u2019t flourish by roads and bridges but by human development.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Healthcare:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

PTI will give health priority and establish a quality healthcare system. Health insurance will be provided for those in need and hospitals established. The poor will receive treatment, the rich can get it in Pakistan rather than overseas.<\/p>\n

Revenue generation and tax reforms:<\/p>\n

The tax rate will be lowered and more people brought into the net. Reforms will ensure high collection. Each year Rs 8000 billion will be collected to ensure steady revenue. How to generate revenue to be rid of heavy debts? \u201cWe don\u2019t have money to run the country, we are in heavy debt. I will show how to gather money\u201d but Imran gave no details. [Note by KD: Imran\u2019s first embarrassing job after taking office may be to approach the IMF for $12 billion bailout].<\/p>\n

Controlling corruption<\/p>\n

Corruption will be controlled by strengthening the Federal Board of Revenue and the Judiciary (\u201cFat hopes!\u201d we Sri Lankans will exclaim). Imran cited the expulsion of 20 MPAs from his party for \u201cselling votes\u201d earlier this year.<\/p>\n

Economy<\/p>\n