Addressed to Dr Shireen Mazari,
Very disappointed, disheartened and saddened.
Well Blood is thicker then water.
Given Imaan serious differences,this was an eventuality I guess.
The letter is frankly a let-down. I was expecting a more substantive Ja’ccuse from Dr Mazari.
Its both relieving as a PTI supporter, but ultimately disappointing, as I had a very high regard for you.
In my opinion in the light of these grievances the resignation was an extreme step.
1.” I had made a commitment to you that I would join PTI only whenever I was able to join direct politics, especially electoral politics…….All I sought was an assurance that the same ideals, again especially in terms of change and foreign policy, still prevailed.”
You should know better. Did she really see yourself as a constituency politician? That does explain the hostility towards the Lagharis and the reaction to the whole Rajanpur incident.
In my mind Dr Mazari had a far important role which it seems she did not fully appreciate. She was to provide the core of PTI Foreign and defense policy. pakistan has to rethink how it formulates its Defense and FR policy. This needs moving away from whims of GHQ and NDU to a national debate,professional think tanks and an elected leadership caliing the shots.
With the ingress of the $20 Billion dollar shadow government into Pakistan (via USAID,ISI T wing,Fusion cells etc) this will be battle for Pakistan destiny. Are we to be for ever dependable Satrap or a self respecting country?
The evidence suggest thats how IK saw you too. You were appointed to that post as VC. IK also used your services to this effect to great success at the APC and later when you accompanied IK to China.
Has IK changed any position on FR. If that were true would he stick his neck out into a foolhardy march into S.waziristan of all places. If he has not and that all you asked for, how can you abandon him now.
With you gone the relief of our Imperial bootlickers (So called “Liberals”) on twitter is palpable. From NJ to Marvi Sirmind to Kamran Shafi to NFP, Beena Sarwar and the usual suspects. This had brought them great relief.
Now IK in the top echelons of the party is left alone with a substantively Nationalistic view on FP, Defense policy etc.
Expecting anything substantively different from SMQ,Kasuri or Sardar Asif would not be reasonable. Without you by his side IK may find taking a nationalistic stand harder. The forces that be will chip at his position.
2. Electable and Big money:
This is a tired old argument by now. This is how a Pakistnai Parlimenty democratic system works.Its NOT the Bolsheviks or Cuban Communist or the Viet Cong. Its a Social democratic centrist party and has to party within the frame work.
The cold hard facts are PTI can only suceed if it get some of these powerful factions and lobbies behind it. It was successful as it was getting the business community behind it.
With ZAB the hold of Ayub khan era hod of Industrialist was broken and given back to the landholding old Feudal class.
History has shown this was a disaster as Pakistan lost its entrepreneurial class. Hence we never had our Tatas or Warren Buffets etc. The Industrialist were reduced to dependants in Pakistan had to side with one Political force or the other to survive (See the travails of the once mighty Schon group).
So you have the Punjab based Industrailist siding with PML N (Ittefaq,the Chiniotis etc) vs the PPP who were supported by the Karachi based Industrialist (Lakhanis , Hashwanis; who also have to appease the MQM fascist). Economic policy was destroyed. Thus privatisation under NS govt meant 70% was given out to Punjab based Industrialist while PPP tried to turn the tide in the favor of its backers. NS especially decimated Industries in KPK just to appease his constituency.
PTI was offering an alternative. Like its Asad Umer was saying Patronage Politics has to get out of economic policy. Many Industrial groups (Saf,Engro etc) saw how this compromise acceptable higher taxes for improved security, functioning infrastructure a level playing field. They would not have to fund the Destructive Political schenanigans of the duaolply of power.
Now one can argue can a party backed by some industrialist bring meanigful change. If you look at AKP in turkey (fianaced by the Anatolian Buisness Class) or FDR (who countered Wall Street power with(JP Morgan,Morgan Stanleyetc with Support of Big Manufacturing Industrial intrest like GE) the Answer is yes. Within the context of reform via political parties this is how it works.
IK isnt Ho chi min,Castro or Lenin. The PTI strategy is pragmatic and conservative in this regard.
Among the Feudal class PTI had clearly picked the best of the lot. Being financial non corrupt while in Politics in Pakistan is close to a miracle. PTI was giving a alternative plat form to these forces.
3.On giving the example of ZAB I have to say its laughable. ZAB PPP was contained many electables by end of his term. ZAB himself was a feudal and a so called “Establishment” creation. Anyone who has read his correspondence with Iskinder Mirza or Ayub Khan knows what I am referring to. His rule as I have stated was just the reaction of the suppressd Land holding political forces against the Industrial upstarts. His policy clearly reflected this. While he had no qulams of the disastrous Mass industrialisation he could not push or implement token Lnad reforms. ZAB created the Constituency based politics of today. I am afraid you are either naive or have bought into PPP historical revisionism. Had it not been for Zia coup by 77 PPP was discredited and would be a foot note of history.( A feat they accomplish predictably whenever given 5 years in power. ) The entire so called Nazriati PPP cadre defected enmasse to the Zia regime. Just like musch of the so called Nazariati PTI cadre jumped ship to Musharraf in 03.
4.”The plane and helicopter dependency is one reflection of this but so are other disturbing happenings like the donation of Rs 50 lakhs by one individual to some ISF leaders directly – ostensibly for aiding the membership drive – instead of it going via the Party account.”
IK has been travelling also by road more then any political leader. Given safety concerns and risk of a serious accidents Mazari is clutching at straws here.
Would she rather have PTI convoys stopping traffic like other Political leaders protocols. That would not increase PTI popularity.I think using Helicopters has dramatically increase the number of events IK can attend to. Jinnah views on Gandhi rediculous Public austerity are well known. IK is a wealthy man should he drive a rikshaw to Jalsa’s for propaganda purposes???
On IKF donation that is a serious allegation. Did you rasie that in CEC? What was the response? Did they have an explanation? In the context of letter its seems out of place and clutching at straws What exactly is being implied here? Was a procedural error or a case of graft?
5.”The membership drive itself through membership booklets has some serious questions hanging over it and I did try to raise these in the PSC meeting on the issue but to no avail. I still maintain that by selling the booklets we allowed the rich members to purchase huge amounts of the booklets and then make their members with no check on whether these books were being filled simply to build up local support for the intra party elections at Union and District levels or whether the members being enlisted were genuinely believers and supporters of PTI! ”
As I suspected its the whole Old guard vs New Guard conundrum. This is the most disappointing part of the letter.
Lets face it.The territorial narrow minded old guard wants to maintain its power and not let anyone in.
Membership is allowed via an SMS message. How much worse can a booklet be???
Who is going to decide the “genuineness” of the new PTI supporters.
Will S Akbar Babar and SM hold an inquisition.
This is a political party. Different facets attract people. No one has the right to question another persons motives. If SM belives in a democracy this is how it works.
The party cant be the fiefdom of this “old guard”.
Incidentally a quick look of the Old guard performance in election shows that in four elections they managed a stuning 2000 votes (Excluding IK votes). PTI has gone through three implosion where many of these old guards conveniently left the party when the going got tough. Many returned after things changed.
In my view these people are an albatross. The dont bring vision or votes to the table but throw tantrums at every turn
The whole itnra party election business was meant to appease them. Yet they dont want to stand exposed once again and lose their power.
The process now has to go through. And a mass culling of these Jokers is along over due. Anyone sincere would still continue without a position.
Many who were talented has gone up the ranks. Its quite telling how much venom these so called “old guard” spew once they call quits. These people want to be coddled, thats not how it works.
I remeber being virtually alone when in my social circle when I was agaisnt Mush capitulation in Afghanistan, Murder of Akbar Bugti, Extrodinary renditions, Operation in tribal area,Drone strikes etc.
Polling shows I (and IK) were a minority at the time. (These position drew me to PTI initially) Should I congratulate my self for my ideals and “vision” and deride everyone else for ever on basis of this. Is this a fair way to judge others? Do their mistakes at that time condemn them for eternity? No chance for redemption?
This is the thinking of a fascist. People change their views and realize their folly. Everyone makes mistakes. Thats Human.
6.IMF and energy policy. Atleast PTI isnt over promising and delivering a message within the confines of believability. Should PTI have said that we would default on our loans and other radical measures. Even if you think that is the prudent course, does it makes sense to show your cards so early on.
Do you have any idea how precarious Pakistan economic position is. We are dangerously close to spiralling into Hyperinflation. Do you have any idea of the amount of money being printed by SBP. By my estimate we are looking at a meltdown in Febuary.
We may have to defaults anyway. Anyone who knows the scale of the circular debt crisis knows anyone serious about government has to be very careful.
The lack of a specific complaint on the policy would indicate either you havent studied the policy in detail or you dont have a reasonable alternative. A massive increase in Health and education isnt enough?
7.”I hope that we are not reduced ‘to abuse and name calling on the social media again as it will not do anyone any good.”"Sadly, instead of resolving the issue amicably, your social media and their “trolls” chose to use filthy abuses against my daughter which compelled her to leave the party; and you chose to adopt a vengeful posture by serving me with a show cause notice and then sending a message that I should make a public apology and retract my statement.”
This basically is the main discernable reason. The rest of the points are just after thoughts. Stock anti pti arguments that dont hold much water. Marvi mmeon ,PTI nazariati jokers etc all have tried to use the same.
[HI]Strip this down,this is your ego speaking and it shows.[/HI]
[HI]You were out of line in Rajanpur. A party has to have Discipline. Why should you be excluded to rules applied to others before you. I remember you saying on TV when Pervaiz Khattak joined that the leadership had a right to demand a explanation from PTI workers who attacked the Islamabad office. Countless PTI official have had been reprimanded in the past. Many took it with grace and continued with the party.
[/HI][HI]
You were out of line and should pay. Given your senior position you should have known better. Would you berate your daughter in public or in front of your friends. How then did you do the same to your Party. It seems you dont take this seriously enough . This literally for many is the last shot at a future, I do not exaggerate.
There are many platforms within the party to raise your complaints. But going infront of media in such an un nuanced malice laden attack it has to be reprimanded.
[/HI]
Your daughter on twitter shared a offensive tweet that troubled her.It turned out the tweeter (by the Tweet History) was a MQM worker pretending to be a PTI worker.
No sane person i the world takes random tweet on the internet seriously. And the conspiratorial belief that some how the leadership is running this campaign against Imaan.Should I laugh or cry. [HI]This is unbecoming of someone of your intellect.[/HI][HI]
I think in time you will recognize what folly your daughter has forced you into. Her reason as I pointed out in her other post are self serving and half baked and dont stand to scrutiny.
[/HI]
[HI]You not only missed an opportunity to play part in what could be real change. You may have administered the knock out punch none of the status quo could have mustered. First time in ten years do I doubt now that PTI IA will see this through.
As a PTI supporter I find it hard to forgive you for this. Still all the best in your future endeavours.
[/HI]
