Opinion Maker

Mr. Khan?

By Tanvir Ahmed Siddiqui

Mr. Khan?

Imran Khan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imran_Khan reads that in 2008, Pakistan’s Newsline magazine gave Imran Khan the “Paris Hilton award for being the most undeserving media darling.” The ‘citation’ for Khan read: “He is the leader of a party that is the proud holder of one National Assembly seat (and) gets media coverage inversely proportional to his political influence.” But  2008 is 3+ years behind and specially post 30^th Oct.2011 Mr. Imran Khan  pronounced as Inqilaab Khan  is now being promoted  as really and genuinely a deserving media darling despite of a bitter fact that Media in today’s world of infotainment  is a very unfaithful dame always ready for the next hook up.  Almost every evening while talking to media stalwarts  to register so many other tall claims of his purity and perfection , Mr. Khan and his cronies  explain and assert  how he sold his properties  in London and bought a sprawling piece of  300 Kanals (1632000 sq. yds)  in Bani Gala Islamabad. In 300 Kanals  where he resides all alone but with a company of his care takers in a sprawling Mansion  of  I don’t know how many bedrooms. In those three hundred kanals he lives and grows fruit trees, wheat, and keeps dogs, goats and cows, while also maintaining a cricket ground for his two sons, who visit him during their holidays. I wish in that sprawling but extra large  piece of  (300 kanals x 540 sq yds / kanal  = 16,32,000 sq yds)  land instead of his personal usage for  princely  living he could arrange food clothing and shelter camp for  Earth Quake and Flood effected IDPs or could  set up an extension camp of his Shaukat Khanum Hospital or could donate it for some kind of institution. But Philanthropy is a passion that always requires Donors Money.

The PTI Chairman says that he is in possession of all his income records from day one and willing for any kind of scrutiny anytime at any forum. I need not to question here about that controversial and good for nothing fuss of gift and transfer deed as a divorce settlement of his assets and properties. As an ordinary fellow citizen of this country I am happy to see Mr. Khan as an alternate and  claimant as a unique and sole trendsetter of honesty & truthfulness and uprightness in PK Politics.  In the name of honesty and change today Mr, Khan aspiring  so desperately to jump on the hot seat and get hold of all levers of power and prerogatives in our country.

Yes of course why not? As a legitimate citizen and at the same time as one of the top in-media celebrities ofPakistanMr. Khan has all the right to reap the harvest and happily enjoy all fruits of his 15yrs strive on fields of Politics.

Major tune out of his political pipe is that the heart of Mr. Khan actually beats and throbs only along with miseries and pains, sorrows and grieves of downtrodden, under privileged and curbed class of our country and society. But I am afraid his personal lifestyle as one of the few richie-rich boys ofPakistandoesn’t really match exactly with his tall claims.  I am really not referring to his ex-life style of good old colorful days and nights of shimmering “Leopard Print Satin Trouser”  boogieing on the dance floor of Annabel?s and Tramp ‚ (Reference  Christopher Sandford for his “The Biography”). Mr. Khan has really given up that life style of  specially his post retirement (from Cricket)  era  in west  till such time he decided to take a U turn and ride away on high morality horse from Playboy to be a Puritan. But honestly speaking Mr. Khan avoided to  bring that kind of revolutionary change in his personal life style like of  Mr. Junaid Jamshaid and quite a few other pop celebrities turned puritans.

Mr. Khan and his supporters now really feel so perturbed and highly irritated on any such reference, mention, recall and remembrance of all those carefree days and nights but what to do when  net as a filth depot is  really overloaded and over flown with all kind of garbage and dirty stuff  for  personal controversies and defamations especially of public figures. But for any reason I cannot resist from mention of only one interesting but relevant statement of Declan Walsh in The Guardian newspaper in England in 2005 described Khan as a “miserable politician,” observing that, “Khan’s ideas and affiliations since entering politics in 1996 have swerved and skidded like a rick shaw in a rain shower. He preaches democracy one day but gives a vote to reactionary mullahs the next.”The charge constantly raised against Khan is that of hypocrisy and opportunism. But for sure this statement of Mr. Declan Walsh is absolutely out dated and there is now a considerable difference between 2005 and 30^th October 2011 when of course venues of awesome opportunities for Mr. Khan are touching horizons.

On journey towards these new horizons of opportunities Mr. Imran Khan is still  unable to defuse my basic concern a concern that may not be of any value and heed  for Mr Khan and his party  but is still very important for me as an ordinary but serious and rather seasoned  registered voter in this country. (Though Mr. Khan may categorically tell us all that he really does’nt care about any voter like me).  The fundamental issue and concern for me remains far deeper in conformance to all tall claims of  Mr. Khan.  Regardless of whether his 300 Kanal property was bought  and transferred through legal or whatever means but specially in perspectives of his tall claims an ordinary like me  is awestruck to see  and hard-pressed to ask and find What and Where is the Difference, Mr. Khan?  You  are being portrayed by your overwhelmed supporters and well-wishers that you Mr. Imran Khan  all by yourself are  a different, unique and matchless piece and symbol of truthfulness , honesty, uprightness and purity the God has ever created  on this soil.

My concern is still the same that as an Elite can he who prefers to live as a prince of no land  in such awesome mansions and palaces and travels inside and outside on luxurious wheels and wings and wears branded suits and neckties specially in photo sessions with his western cronies and moves elegantly  to dine almost every next evening with pretty and charming faces in 07 stars can really and actually be so different than all others? Is he really different enough and will he be able to feel or even understand the real and actual pain of somebody whose mud-made house had been swept away by floods, earth quakes and other calamities?  Specially with reference to Mr. Khan’s  recent loud statement that all havoc lands of Governor houses, along with President House and Prime Minister house and such extensive  Govt. properties  must be converted to some meaning full and useful purposes of public interest and welfare. Alas! One can rant and rave and talk and question endlessly on such double standards, but as said by wise elders that “lesser said the better”. Only the time and the journey  down the bumpy road of politics will prove whether  the kind of already proven stuff being loaded and over loaded on the bandwagon of Mr. Khan will help him to reach the desired destination or not.

Change as a fantasy is the most sellable and at the same times most beaten up slogan of this century. The claim to bring Change has been always blown too much out of proportion. But unfortunately reality of change by itself is nothing more nothing less then a face dial of time clock on the wall. Mr. Barak Hussain Obama the one who in his election campaign capitalized most effectively on this slogan of Change  but  failed so miserably to deliver and  connect that promise of Change with those sky rocketed hopes and dreams and desires of his fellow Americans. Mr. Obama despite in possession of all buttons of powers and prerogatives at his command and control could not break the spell of nuisance to bring about any considerable and viable Change for his people and for the people of outer world at large. Thereafter taking the oath as the President of United States  in the name of Change, for a reason or the other Mr. Obama   preferred to fit himself into the same Strait Jacket of nuisance that was stitched and handed over to him by his predecessor.   Now here in our country nearing towards new general elections the so known and so talked about Mr. Imran Khan of  Pakistan has picked up the same beaten up trumpet to blow a fierce wind of Change within and around our country.  As a Romantic Greek god of media rallies Mr. Khan  is being projected and portrayed like no less than Hercules reborn. In my humble opinion, Mr. Obama failed miserably to bring any change merely because of  his campaign that was based perhaps on presumptions and assumptions that on that hot seat of power and prerogatives the time clocks of all factors in this world will be at his command. Despite my reservations about Mr. Khan’s acumen as a statesman but in the sincerity of purpose I must wish all the best for Mr. Imran Khan   if not as an angel and messiah but at least as yet another considerable option for those who live in fantasy of change. In view of this world full of challenges I am sure that he too will finally end up saying: “wish from somewhere, I could get a Lamp of Aladdin”.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imran_Khan reads that in 2008, Pakistan’s Newsline magazine gave Imran Khan the “Paris Hilton award for being the most undeserving media darling.” The ‘citation’ for Khan read: “He is the leader of a party that is the proud holder of one National Assembly seat (and) gets media coverage inversely proportional to his political influence.” But  2008 is 3+ years behind and specially post 30^th Oct.2011 Mr. Imran Khan  pronounced as Inqilaab Khan  is now being promoted  as really and genuinely a deserving media darling despite of a bitter fact that Media in today’s world of infotainment  is a very unfaithful dame always ready for the next hook up.  Almost every evening while talking to media stalwarts  to register so many other tall claims of his purity and perfection , Mr. Khan and his cronies  explain and assert  how he sold his properties  in London and bought a sprawling piece of  300 Kanals (1632000 sq. yds)  in Bani Gala Islamabad. In 300 Kanals  where he resides all alone but with a company of his care takers in a sprawling Mansion  of  I don’t know how many bedrooms. In those three hundred kanals he lives and grows fruit trees, wheat, and keeps dogs, goats and cows, while also maintaining a cricket ground for his two sons, who visit him during their holidays. I wish in that sprawling but extra large  piece of  (300 kanals x 540 sq yds / kanal  = 16,32,000 sq yds)  land instead of his personal usage for  princely  living he could arrange food clothing and shelter camp for  Earth Quake and Flood effected IDPs or could  set up an extension camp of his Shaukat Khanum Hospital or could donate it for some kind of institution. But Philanthropy is a passion that always requires Donors Money.

The PTI Chairman says that he is in possession of all his income records from day one and willing for any kind of scrutiny anytime at any forum. I need not to question here about that controversial and good for nothing fuss of gift and transfer deed as a divorce settlement of his assets and properties. As an ordinary fellow citizen of this country I am happy to see Mr. Khan as an alternate and  claimant as a unique and sole trendsetter of honesty & truthfulness and uprightness in PK Politics.  In the name of honesty and change today Mr, Khan aspiring  so desperately to jump on the hot seat and get hold of all levers of power and prerogatives in our country.

Yes of course why not? As a legitimate citizen and at the same time as one of the top in-media celebrities ofPakistanMr. Khan has all the right to reap the harvest and happily enjoy all fruits of his 15yrs strive on fields of Politics.

Major tune out of his political pipe is that the heart of Mr. Khan actually beats and throbs only along with miseries and pains, sorrows and grieves of downtrodden, under privileged and curbed class of our country and society. But I am afraid his personal lifestyle as one of the few richie-rich boys ofPakistandoesn’t really match exactly with his tall claims.  I am really not referring to his ex-life style of good old colorful days and nights of shimmering “Leopard Print Satin Trouser”  boogieing on the dance floor of Annabel?s and Tramp ‚ (Reference  Christopher Sandford for his “The Biography”). Mr. Khan has really given up that life style of  specially his post retirement (from Cricket)  era  in west  till such time he decided to take a U turn and ride away on high morality horse from Playboy to be a Puritan. But honestly speaking Mr. Khan avoided to  bring that kind of revolutionary change in his personal life style like of  Mr. Junaid Jamshaid and quite a few other pop celebrities turned puritans.

Mr. Khan and his supporters now really feel so perturbed and highly irritated on any such reference, mention, recall and remembrance of all those carefree days and nights but what to do when  net as a filth depot is  really overloaded and over flown with all kind of garbage and dirty stuff  for  personal controversies and defamations especially of public figures. But for any reason I cannot resist from mention of only one interesting but relevant statement of Declan Walsh in The Guardian newspaper in England in 2005 described Khan as a “miserable politician,” observing that, “Khan’s ideas and affiliations since entering politics in 1996 have swerved and skidded like a rick shaw in a rain shower. He preaches democracy one day but gives a vote to reactionary mullahs the next.”The charge constantly raised against Khan is that of hypocrisy and opportunism. But for sure this statement of Mr. Declan Walsh is absolutely out dated and there is now a considerable difference between 2005 and 30^th October 2011 when of course venues of awesome opportunities for Mr. Khan are touching horizons.

On journey towards these new horizons of opportunities Mr. Imran Khan is still  unable to defuse my basic concern a concern that may not be of any value and heed  for Mr Khan and his party  but is still very important for me as an ordinary but serious and rather seasoned  registered voter in this country. (Though Mr. Khan may categorically tell us all that he really does’nt care about any voter like me).  The fundamental issue and concern for me remains far deeper in conformance to all tall claims of  Mr. Khan.  Regardless of whether his 300 Kanal property was bought  and transferred through legal or whatever means but specially in perspectives of his tall claims an ordinary like me  is awestruck to see  and hard-pressed to ask and find What and Where is the Difference, Mr. Khan?  You  are being portrayed by your overwhelmed supporters and well-wishers that you Mr. Imran Khan  all by yourself are  a different, unique and matchless piece and symbol of truthfulness , honesty, uprightness and purity the God has ever created  on this soil.

My concern is still the same that as an Elite can he who prefers to live as a prince of no land  in such awesome mansions and palaces and travels inside and outside on luxurious wheels and wings and wears branded suits and neckties specially in photo sessions with his western cronies and moves elegantly  to dine almost every next evening with pretty and charming faces in 07 stars can really and actually be so different than all others? Is he really different enough and will he be able to feel or even understand the real and actual pain of somebody whose mud-made house had been swept away by floods, earth quakes and other calamities?  Specially with reference to Mr. Khan’s  recent loud statement that all havoc lands of Governor houses, along with President House and Prime Minister house and such extensive  Govt. properties  must be converted to some meaning full and useful purposes of public interest and welfare. Alas! One can rant and rave and talk and question endlessly on such double standards, but as said by wise elders that “lesser said the better”. Only the time and the journey  down the bumpy road of politics will prove whether  the kind of already proven stuff being loaded and over loaded on the bandwagon of Mr. Khan will help him to reach the desired destination or not.

Change as a fantasy is the most sellable and at the same times most beaten up slogan of this century. The claim to bring Change has been always blown too much out of proportion. But unfortunately reality of change by itself is nothing more nothing less then a face dial of time clock on the wall. Mr. Barak Hussain Obama the one who in his election campaign capitalized most effectively on this slogan of Change  but  failed so miserably to deliver and  connect that promise of Change with those sky rocketed hopes and dreams and desires of his fellow Americans. Mr. Obama despite in possession of all buttons of powers and prerogatives at his command and control could not break the spell of nuisance to bring about any considerable and viable Change for his people and for the people of outer world at large. Thereafter taking the oath as the President of United States  in the name of Change, for a reason or the other Mr. Obama   preferred to fit himself into the same Strait Jacket of nuisance that was stitched and handed over to him by his predecessor.   Now here in our country nearing towards new general elections the so known and so talked about Mr. Imran Khan of  Pakistan has picked up the same beaten up trumpet to blow a fierce wind of Change within and around our country.  As a Romantic Greek god of media rallies Mr. Khan  is being projected and portrayed like no less than Hercules reborn. In my humble opinion, Mr. Obama failed miserably to bring any change merely because of  his campaign that was based perhaps on presumptions and assumptions that on that hot seat of power and prerogatives the time clocks of all factors in this world will be at his command. Despite my reservations about Mr. Khan’s acumen as a statesman but in the sincerity of purpose I must wish all the best for Mr. Imran Khan   if not as an angel and messiah but at least as yet another considerable option for those who live in fantasy of change. In view of this world full of challenges I am sure that he too will finally end up saying: “wish from somewhere, I could get a Lamp of Aladdin.”