Is Tsunami In Hot Water Now?

The severe allegations on Imran Khan`s Shoukat Khanum Hospital by PML-N not only astonished the common people, but also got the PTI into a big trouble. They were not expecting such perfect yorker from PML-N in return. Now, PTI seems to have gone in a defensive position. Let`s see whether it manages to save its middle stump or not.    

Traditionally, the people of our country are used to the blame game that has become a part of our dirty politics. Principally speaking, such allegations have not importance unless the relevant evidences and proofs are produced in the courts. Thus legally, an accused is assumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. So, all the charges on Imran Khan and his hospital from PML-N can just be considered a political point scoring until they are proved in the court of law. Unfortunately, PTI had also indulged itself in the same mudslinging like others.  Not only the PTI leadership, but also its supporters took a prominent lead in it. Now, PML-N is using the same weapon that PTI had adopted against it.

While responding to the allegations from the PML-N`s senator Muhahid Ullah in a talk show, the PTI`s Dr. Alvi said, “What you people are doing against SKMH especially in the month of Ramazan, is a sin”. The question is, maligning the PPP and PML-N leaders and all the people sitting in the parliament using the words “Kutta”, “Chor”, “Daku”, “Luterey”, “Corrupt” and “Dengue Brothers” by PTI chairman, was to please God? Was that not a violation of the teachings of Islam? How would the PTI leadership avoid such nonsense now?

A part of the allegations that have to be proved in the courts, one thing that Imran Khan and the CEO of the SKMH themselves have accepted and endorsed that the investment (whether it was generated or collected from within or outside the country) was made in the projects or companies being run outside Pakistan. This aspect carries more importance in the scenario where the PTI chairman Imran Khan had been not only severely criticizing the PPP and the PML-N leaders, but also even raising questions on their patriotism on having invested their money outside Pakistan. It was the PTI chairman who had been demanding them to take the money back.

Now, the question is, does this principle not apply to IK himself as well? Should he not have asked the management of the SKMH to bring back its investment to Pakistan to strengthen the deteriorating country`s economy? Now, should the IK`s patriotism not become questionable in the present case? This contradiction will surely affect his credibility.

Moreover, it is also interesting to note that PTI, from the beginning, has been claiming to consist of only “clean” people. Technically, the politicians who get convicted in the allegations on them, they legally get out of the politics. So, by “clean”, IK means the politicians who do not have any allegations against them. Now, after the severe allegations against him, does IK himself deserve to be called “clean” anymore? Now, what is the difference remaining between him and the other politicians?

We know that in the Pakistani elite-class politics, it is not easy for a new comer, especially without having a political back ground, to enter and survive here. But, it was the Shoukat Khanum Memorial Hospital that made possible the Imran Khan`s debut in the Pakistani politics. It was SKMH that provided a fertile ground for him. That is why IK and PTI used the SKMH as their base in the politics. All the PTI leaders, from the day one, had been quoting it as an example of a mile stone achieved by their leader in order to prove that IK would turn Pakistan into a true welfare state in the same way. But, after the PML-N`s allegations, PTI leaders look to be requesting for not involving the SKMH in the politics saying, “It is a welfare project with none of its business with the politics at all.” What a U-turn PTI is taking now! To tell the truth, it was not PML-N, but Khan Sahib himself who had dragged a purely welfare project into the politics. It was PTI who was cashing in on SKMH to gain political support. Now, they are paying the price for it.

Anyway, no matter these allegations are proved in the courts or they become an addition to the long list of the pending cases of all the other politicians including Mr. Zardari and Sharif Bros. But, they have definitely got “Tsunami” into a big trouble by badly denting the image of the only icon in PTI. It looks perhaps Imran Khan has lost the game now.