مقدمہ آزادی مارچ

مئی 2013 میں الیکشن منعقد ہوے. الیکشن کے بعد تمام جماعتوں نے، بشمول نواز لیگ، یہ الزام عائد کیا کہ الیکشن میں بڑے پیمانے پر دھاندلی ہی. ٹیلی ویژن چینلز، اخبارات، الیکشن ابزرو  کرنے والے دیگر ادارے، سب نے الیکشن پر سوالات اٹھائے.

تحریک انصاف نے بھی الیکشن کو دھاندلی زدہ قرار دیا. چیئرمین تحریک انصاف، عمران خان، نے اعلان کیا کے انہوں نے نتائج تسلیم کر لئے، حکومت تسلیم کر لی مگر دھاندھلی تسلیم نہیں کی. انہوں نے ' الیکشن آڈٹ' ڈیمانڈ کیا جس میں یہ پتا چلایا جا سکے کہ آخر الیکشن میں ہوا کیا. اور آئندہ دھاندلی روکنے کے لئے الیکٹورل ریفورم کی جا سکے. پارلیمنٹ میں تقریر میں انہوں نے کہا کہ چار حلقوں کا آڈٹ کرایا جائے تاکے دودھ کا دودھ اور پانی کا پانی ہو سکے. وزیر داخلہ نثار علی خان نے جواباً چالیس حلقے کھولنے کا کہا. تحریک انصاف نے تجویز مان لی. مگر کچھ نا ہوا.

بات دوبارہ پارلیمنٹ میں آئ. خواجہ سعد رفیق نے نکتا اٹھایا کہ چار حلقے تحریک انصاف اور چار حلقے نون لیگ دے. اس پر بھی اتفاق ہو گیا. نون لیگ نے عمران خان کی ایک سیٹ آڈٹ کے لئے دی. تحریک انصاف نے اپنے طور پر عمران کی دوسری سیٹ جس سے وہ میانوالی میں جیتے تھے وہ بھی پیش کر دی. لیکن بات وہیں رک گئی. تحریک انصاف لگاتار ڈیمانڈ کرتی رہی اور حکومت لگاتار غیر سنجیدہ ردعمل دیتی رہی. بات کو ہنسی ٹھٹھے میں اڑاتی رہی.  مئی 2014 آ گیا. تحریک انصاف نے دھاندلی کے خلاف تحریک شروع کر دی. پھرموقع دیا دھاندلی کے الزامات کی تحقیقات کا. عمران خان نے یہاں تک کہا کے اگر تحقیقات میں دھاندلی کے شواہد نا ملے تو وہ نواز شریف کے گھر جا کر معافی مانگیں گے. مگر ڈھاک کے تین پات. نواز لیگ کے گلو بٹ غیر سنجیدہ بیانات دیتے رہے. کام کچھ نا کیا.

دانشمندانہ جواب اور طریقہ کار یہ ہوتا کہ حکومت دھاندلی کے الزامات کو سنجیدگی سے لیتی. پارلیمنٹ میں موجود تمام جماعتوں کو باور کراتی کہ وہ واقعی ان الزامات کی تہ تک پہنچنا چاہتی ہے. سب کو اعتماد میں لے کر تحقیقات کا عمل شروع ہوتا. اگر دھاندلی ثابت ہو جاتی تو ملوث افراد کے خلاف کاروائی ہوتی اور بہتر الیکشن کے نظام پر کام شروع ہوتا. اگر دھاندلی ثابت نا ہوتی تو الزام لگانے والوں کی سبکی ہوتی. مگر حکومت اپنا فرض ادا کرنے میں ناکام رہی. سب راستے بند کر کے بیٹھے رہے. ایسے میں ایک واحد راستہ احتجاج کا بچا. احتجاج ایک بنیادی، جمہوری حق ہے جو ریاست ہر شہری کو دیتی ہے اور تحریک انصاف 14 اگست کو اپنا یہی حق استعمال کر رہی ہے.

حکومت نے اپنے غیردانشمندانہ رویئے سے ملک کو ایک بند گلی میں لا کھڑا کیا ہے. تمام مواقع مہیا کیے جانے کے باوجود انکو ہاتھ سے جانے دیا.  ہمارے پاس سوائے احتجاج کے کوئی اور آپشن چھوڑا ہی نہیں.

To take, or not to take?

Last year has been an exceptionally successful one for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Since January the party has been on a phenomenal upsurge, both organizationally as well as in popularity. As Imran Khan would say, 'Insaf (PTI) is an idea, whose time has come," and indeed it has. The year that began with a grand rally in Faisalabad will hopefully end in 'never seen before' kind of a grand rally and a jalsa in Karachi at Mazar-e-Quaid. The high point in this year, and perhaps in PTI's 16 year old life was a historic jalsa at Manto Park in Lahore. Some say they haven't seen a crowd as big, as energetic and as upbeat before in a political gathering. I not only endorse the view but I can proudly say that I too was part of history that was made on October the 30th in front of Minar-e-Pakistan. I'll always cherish the memories of the day.

Since the last few months, before and after the jalsa, whole nation seems to be gripped by a debate of whether PTI should welcome politicians who have been in other parties before, of whom some have even also enjoyed ministerial and other government offices, into party's fold or not? Many argue, especially those within PTI, that party that we should not. Their argument, which does make sense, is that these people are only joining PTI for electoral gains that party's popularity can potentially offer them and do not have much to do with the philosophy of the party. Some argue that they are joining PTI, literally in flocks, because they've been ignored or sidelined by the party they were previously in. But the strongest argument of them all is that how can Imran Khan bring about the 'change' he has been promising with these old horses who have been part of many of the previous regimes he has been so vocally criticizing and  opposing. All these are tough questions to answer. 

Theoretically,  yes, I endorse all those views. But on the other hand isn't this mass support what I and all my fellows in PTI have been working for? Now that we are getting it, we suddenly don't want it. Lest we forget, PTI is a political party, not a Gymkhana style exclusive club where rights of admissions are strictly reserved for a certain type of people. Will we tomorrow, come elections, won't accept votes of those voters who have been voting for other parties before? What if a thief wishes to vote for a PTI candidate? Will we ask him not to? Besides, accepting someone in party is one thing, and giving him a party ticket in elections is another. Doesn't mean that if an ex-MNA, who is allegedly corrupt, joins a party he'll most certainly get a ticket as well. As Imran Khan has said PTI will be represented by new, young faces everywhere it practically can. But party also has to keep the biradri based, largely uneducated rural politics in mind as well if it has to make it big in the parliament. To achiever a victory in elections, party will have to field a mix of new and old faces where majority, in my opinion, must be faces that have stuck it out with the party through thick and thin. 

These are going to be extremely tough decisions for Imran Khan and party leadership to take, but I'm sure right decisions will be taken. Those decisions which will have a popular support, both, within the party and outside.

A brand new journey, on a brand new road!

Writing does not come naturally to me. I want to write, and I wish I could write well but it is always an effort. I have so much jammed up in my head, but putting it into words become a tough ask. But I try, anyway.

Similarly politics doesn't come natural to me either. I always felt I wasn't cut out for this. For a long time, my goal in life was to somehow achieve contentment without caring much about what was the purpose of my life. In fact I didn't even wish to find or even think of a purpose for my life. All I wanted was to live, however meaningless the life may be, just live. It seemed like I was inspired by the famous cartoon character Bart Simpson's philosophy of 'existence without purpose.' But all this changed.

It changed when I turned 30. At an online social networking site, someone asked me if had achieved anything in these 30 years of my life, and I had no answer. I kept thinking the whole night, to find an answer to think of anything worth mentioning that I achieved in my life, or anything even worth living. Nothing. I was nothing other than being my father's son.

All of a sudden I wanted to do something, something that I could be proud of, something I would be remembered for when I'm long gone, something that helped not just me, but those around me as well. In the meantime, I got a chance to join Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, a political party that had been struggling for 14 years to bring about a positive change in Pakistan's corruption stricken politics. The party was like breath of fresh air, and people all over Pakistan loved Imran Khan for his honesty, uprightness, patriotism and his philanthropy. But the political system was such that the party's and it's chief's popularity couldn't convert into votes. Everybody like Imran Khan, praised him but somehow didn't vote. I was an avid fan too and always wished him success. Without thinking much, after discussing with my immediate family, my parents, my wife and my siblings, I joined the party. Only a month after my joining, I got an opportunity to host Imran Khan at my home for a jalsa. It was December the 28th, 2010.

There has been no looking back ever since. From living a purposeless life, now I am all purpose, and it is very simple; 'Pakistan'. All my efforts, day and night, are now to take Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Imran Khan's message to the remotest corners of the area I live in. It being a backward, rural area, doesn't have much access to the modern electronic media, so the task is uphill, but it's the challenge that gets me going. The most heartening aspect of it all is the positive response that I've been getting. The people are now ready to break the shackles. The day isn't far that this much needed 'change' will take Pakistan by storm and Imran Khan will lead this change. Inshallah