THE decision of Pakistan Government to impose a ban on former Prime Minister Mr. Imran Khan’s political party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) is typical to the country’s domestic discourse. Such a ban was being contemplated upon for quite some time, but got implemented now. Possibly, the Pakistan Government waited for certain indicators to arrive and then ban the PTI. Until this time, however, Pakistani political system had ensured that Mr. Imran Khan’s political activity -- his own or that of his party’s -- was fully under watch to collect so-called evidence of indulgence in anti-national activities. Having made itself sure that all pieces of info fell into their respective places, precipitate action was taken without delay. Now, the political party founded by Mr. Imran Khan has no legal validity -- possibly indicating a complete culmination of Mr. Khan’s illustrious political career. Pakistan’s domestic politics has been full of such instances. By itself, politics is a game scoundrels -- which is all the more true for Pakistan whose political community has by now had a history of intense pettiness.

 

There may not be a single political organisation in Pakistan where rank and file are committed to certain ideology. If at all there is any ideology in Pakistani politics, it is restricted only to personalities and not principles. Almost every political party has an autocratic base and internal functioning. Mr. Imran Khan’s PTI was no exception. But there was no doubt that because of Mr. Imran Khan’s personal dynamism and thrust his party gave to Pakistani politics, others in the political arena had built grudges against him and his organisation. Hence the ban -- of course citing various legal reasons as well as political triggers to throw the party out of the window. With the ban, PTI, from now onwards, will have no legal or constitutional locus standi in the country Having seen Mr. Imran Khan build his party over years, it can be said safely that he would never be the one to taking the ban literally.

 

For, he would rebel against the move and bring Pakistan to a halt. Against all odds, he would raise a people’s movement to oppose the ban and have it revoked by the authorities. In the past as well, he followed a similar route when he was cornered by the political community spearheaded by the Government. Despite all those restrictions and limitations, Mr. Imran Khan was able to break the barriers to his growth and became Prime Minister of Pakistan. His tenure might not have been brilliant, so to say. Yet, it was marked by some brilliant, off-beat moves that the world would remember. Of course, Mr. Imran Khan, too, was a stooge of the Army that rules the roost in Pakistan. Now also, if he builds back the party and fight the ban, he may create quite a stir in Pakistani politics all right. It must be said that all odds are piled up against Mr Imran Khan. For, just a few days ago, judiciary had likened his various political actions as of terrorist nature.

 

That statement may be of the ultimate variety beyond which there may not be anything to blame any political party.Yet, Mr. Imran Khan is known to fight back all such odds. Now also, he will resort to all sorts of tactics to emerge back on the scene. But the ban and the possible subsequent politics indicate only one thing -- that Pakistan’s politics is all the time revolving around personalities and never around principles. Right from Day One as Pakistan got founded, its political community has been fighting wars of attrition that included violence of worst sought. Seeing the nature of evolving politics, Pakistan founder Barrister Mohammad Ali Jinnah had felt very sorry that he has such a political culture in the country he created.