I want justice for my vote! POST ELECTORAL FAILURES OF PTI!

Sensible people in Pakistan have always lamented the plague of Talibanization slowly engulfing this unfortunate country. It seeped into our society slowly through obviously USA and CIA aid and now is a cancer that needs serious treatment. Well, given the pathetic performance of our political parties in the past: the corrupt practices, huge financial irregularities, international graft allegations and deteriorating law and order situation, I like many other people voted for a so-called “Change”.

Obviously it was a very hefty and difficult decision for me provided that I had always been a very staunch supporter of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto. However, now I recall what Gillani said about the vote bank of PTI. He was actually right in pointing out that PTI is stealing ballot of PPP and not PML-N. I like many others have voted for PTI despite our huge ideological differences with the party to see if they can bring any real change in Pakistan or not. But to my utter dismay and grief, PTI has proved the critics right in all aspects.

It started with the massive defeat of Imran Khan all over Punjab. I was surprised because like many others I was expecting a clean sweep all over Pakistan. The election results were unacceptable so we went to protest. Like the Jalsas, the protests were nothing but rendezvous points for youth, who in spite of being realistic were hungry for entertainment such as Music and Party. Well, we all know that privileged class of this country takes pride in throwing lavish dance parties and only selected few are invited there. For a common Middle Class youth (who was not even eligible to vote) a mere glimpse of this culture was a pleasant shock. They danced on the tunes of Copied Indian Music and thought that Imran Khan would actually change everything and make Pakistan a replica of High School Musical or American Pie.

They were wrong! Instead of reading the manifesto, they just chased the wild dreams and a lot of uncouth gossip and in addition to that we had trolls who were active all over the social scene and attacking everyone who dared to speak about the real issues of Pakistan and criticize the huge irregularities in the Manifesto of the party. However, past is past. The crux is that PTI swept KPK with huge margins and made government in alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami. I now remember Beghairat Brigade who was very farsighted when they called PTI Good-looking Jamaat. They were right to the nail.

My first shock came when there was a huge gap in interests for allocation of ministries all over the province. Big barons who flocked to PTI and were ex-MMA were obviously looking for their own interests. Pervez Khattak went to Mullah Sami-ul-Haq and gave statement that he has no difference or fight with Taliban. It was a great shock. The killers of scores of Pakistanis whose hands are red with blood and are proudly responsible of major terrorist activities all over Pakistan were spared by the CM. It was shocking. It went on and on and came to budget where apparently KPK Government allocated huge sums to Education but then some columnist wrote that it also included Non-Development budget and the actual rise is not up to the mark as envisaged in the manifesto.

Then a surprise came when people like Dr. Arif Alvi were advocating ban on Co-education in the province and Siraj-ul-Haq underscored his government’s plan to train youth to infuse “spirit of Jihad”. Alas, he could have diverted this fund to a more sustainable rapid response force rather to infuse the “spirit of Jihad” in unemployed youth. This was not enough that Mujahid Ali Khan – a new face from Mardan on PTI Ticket – called for the immediate release of Mumtaz Qadri and imposition of Shariah in Pakistan. Isn’t it what Taliban demand? So was PTI a mere jest? I want to know! I want justice to be done to my vote. I didn’t vote for PTI to implement Taliban Shariah in Pakistan and to ban co-education. I didn’t vote for PTI so that Imran Khan would release convicted killers. It is a matter of shame.

Salman Taseer was a bold man who raised his voice for the protection of religious minorities in Pakistan. He was right. Why don’t we think that a person who maliciously accuses another person of blasphemy against Holy Prophet (SAW) is much guiltier than the one who actually committed it! He was simple and clear over this and he was murdered by a fanatic who was supposed to guard him. Anyone who knows Salman Taseer or his family will endorse that they were always clear over their stance upon human rights. Salman Taseer was brave that he gave his life to save religious minorities of this country. And now an elected MNA from a place where Taliban and religious paranoia has taken roots is calling for release of his murderer.

Though Dr. Alvi later rebuffed his statement over banning co-education and termed Mujahid  Ali Khan’s statement as his own “personal opinion”, I would suggest Imran Khan to take serious note of that. Because the youth of class of which he brags about very much will leave him very soon and will again go back to their own artificial world. They voted for progressive change not for Talibanization. They voted for peace not for surrendering to Taliban. They voted for infusing the Spirit of Jihad in education and self-control not for infusing the spirit of false Jihad where humans kill humans indiscriminately and without any reason. They voted for change. They voted for you! Will you do justice to them?