Imran Khan the Politician

Thanks for this. I was a great fan of Imran the cricketer and (only) South Asian international playboy--he was even voted Sexiest Man in the World in the early 90s/late 80s by a British tabloid not known for its political correctness! And of course he is one of the greatest cricketers the world has ever seen--the elite of the elite.

I think Imran`s `problem` is that he is too honest and too Western in his thinking (remember he has lived most of his life amongst the elite of European society) to be successful in Pakistan. Pakistani society hasn`t evolved yet to the level of sophistication where someone of his talents can be appreciated. When the whole system is corrupt and society is racked by poverty and illiteracy, how can one man with Oxbridge ideals hope to make the unwashed masses see his point of view?

He should retire from politics and return to the celebrity lifestyle which he glamourised and was suited to with a bevy of beautiful, leggy, blondes on his arm --the likes of Jemima--which the other politicians in both India-Pakistan can only ever dream of!

He`d make a wonderful full - time commentator too of cricket--or as a manager of the national team.

``......the likes of Jemima--which the other politicians in both India-Pakistan can only ever dream of! ``

Why would in your opinion `leggy Blondes `is paticularly desirable to a Paki politician?Being Naqshbandi i know you must be dreaming of Houries who i dont know are blonde or leggy at all...he he

I sympathise with Imran Khan (and those who have read my posts in the past would accept when i say I used to be singularly unimpressed by him ), he is stuck between the proverbial rock and a hard place. He is stubbornly sticking to his guns and hitting the streets to gather support for his ``Musharraf out`` scheme. Unfortunately his only automatic allies in that struggle are the PML-N, MMA and PONM. The first because it lost power at Musharrafs hands and it`s leader is obviously bitter about that, the second because parts of it (the JI/JUP)see Musharraf as ideologically incompatible with their view of Pakistan..and the last because the Army and provincial rights is a contradiction in terms. You throw in his opposition to being pro US and Imran is stuck as being neither here nor there politically.

What choice does he honestly have? Many of the good people in his party have either been unable to handle Pakistani politics, or been poached by other parties (particularly by Musharraf) and the old hangers on thinking they`d get a shortcut into power on his coattails have left having done enough damage. If he were to strike a deal with Mush like the PPP he would in turn havebeen accued of selling his principles, if he doesn`t he is seen as hypocrite becase he sits with the MMA and PML-N..who ayed a role in smearing him in his early tentative years in politics.

It is a tragedy, in the end he is an imperfect politician who has as a person, social worker and cricketer done some superhuman things. Yet while people warm to him they would happily vote for him but not his party.

Bhutto family`s accounts.

In 1994, executives of the two Swiss companies wrote, promising to pay``commissions`` totalling nine per cent to three off-shore companiescontrolled by Mr. Zardari and Nusrat Bhutto. A Cotecna letter in June 1994was direct: ``Should we receive, within six months of today, a contractfor inspection and price verification of goods imported into Pakistan,``it read, ``we will pay you 6 per cent of the total amount invoiced andpaid to the Government of Pakistan for such a contract and during the wholeduration of that contract and its renewal.``

Similar letters, dated March and June 1994, were sent by Societe Generale deSurveillance promising ``consultancy fees`` of six per cent andthree per cent to two other offshore companies controlled by the Bhuttofamily. According to Pakistani investigators, the two Swiss companiesinspected more than $15.4 billion in imports into Pakistan from January 1995to March 1997, making more than $131 million. The investigators estimatedthat the Bhutto family companies made $11.8 million from the deals, at leasta third of which showed up in banking documents taken from the Swiss lawyer.

For Societe Generale de Surveillance, with 35,000 employees and more than $2billion a year in earnings, the relationship with the Bhutto family has beenpainful. In addition to doing customs inspections, the company awardscertificates of technical quality. In effect, its business is integrity.

``House of Graft: Tracing the Bhutto Millions--A special report: Bhutto Clan Leaves Trail ofCorruption``, by John F. Burns, New YorkTimes, 9 January 1998

The one thing Imran has to realize is the fact that he can`t have the solo flight to reach the powers of corridor otherwise his end wont be dissimilar to Asghar Khan`s. In the present scenario BB minus Zardari is a good alternative .Like Z.A Bhutto, he first has to be the part of ruling junta and understand the realms of Pakistani politics before embarking on to acheive his own vision of Pakistan

Imran Khan is not a politician.

Whoever advised him to enter the realm of politics

should face Shoaib Akhtar without pads and a guard.

Imran needs to go back to social work.

He has had the respect of many Pakistanis including mine.

If he is serious about jumping into the political cesspool

in Pakistan then at the moment his best bet is the PML (N).

TI was a good ideal but it is time to move on for Imran.

He is a popular figure who has done good for Pakistan

and some of us would like for him to keep helping

social causes like health, education and welfare there.

[..Jemima was an asset that Imran squandered away....]

Yeah, right!! Why dont you write that Jemima simply dumped Imran? She blatantly cheated on him with another man, openly frolicking in the beach with Hugh Grant.

Compare that to our Rajiv Gandhi when he married an Italian Sonia. Sonia took Indian citizenship, lives and dresses like an Indian, joined Indian politics, speaks hindi and even after Rajiv`s death has remained true to him by not remarrying.

So for all you Pakistanis (like ntsyed and hamidm) making fun of Indian men and their penis sizes, so there!! Our Rajiv must have been a super stud that Sonia is so devoted to him even after death while your Imran must have been a real `phus` in bed that Jemima was left totally unsatisfied. Ha ha!!

what explains Jemima`s ex husband absence from NA on the day of WPB voting...?

Dear Writer,

Iam afraid u have been far too lenient on Khan`s political career. Fact is, Khan is a by-product of the same corrupt, remote controlled system that has given us the lotas (opportunists), feudals (soulless) and mullahs (double-faced). Khan`s political career can be separated in three parts (1) the begining when he was joined by intellectuals, professionals, idealists in search of the messiah, but were dissappointed by his arrogance and impatient political ambitions (2) part dieux, the engineered or programmed part when establishment thought he may be able to deliver the masses but failed and was unceremoniously dumped at the altar (3) part three, period of disenchantment, frustration, social upheavel and desperation in Khan`s personal and political life, which is today.

Khan like any other opportunistic politician has realized that the name of the game is to play to the galleries with those who are willing to play with him. Mullahs can be the best of friends and worst of enemies which he experienced personally in his first total fiasco electoral foray. Then Khan was assailed by the mullahs as a playboy, philanderer married to a jew, sorry excuse of a muslim. Khan was taught a lesson how politics are managed in Pakistan, minarets were used to denounce his muslim credentials and establishment used their political, financial muscle to isolate him from the general public. In times of adversity, people with integrity, political maturity and honesty stand firm to their ideals, sadly Khan showed none. He buckled in, political, social pressure was too much for the great cricketing captain. Just when he should have stood by his ideals, he decided to throw his lot with the establishment and since then he has been rudderless, once a whore always a whore.

Only reason Khan won his single seat in the last elections was because JI helped him thus the political alliance. Khan has no priniciples, given the opportunity he has done the same as any other opportunists. Call it realpolitik, fact is it is dirty politics and Imran Khan is no different.

Re: # 7

Ranjit,

why are you stooping to the level of the paki`s.

The fact is that Jemima Goldsmith was the daughetr of one of Britian`s richest men while Sonia Gandhi went to England to become a nanny, where she phasaoed Rajiv Gandhi and is now Queen Empress of India.

Is she mad to remarry when she can sleep with the choicest of studs and make billions in kickbacks and rob this country left right and centre while maintaining a facade of tyag or renounciation.

Please see the facts before commenting.

Regards
Sanatani

Re: # 7

Ranjit,

why are you stooping to the level of the paki`s.

The fact is that Jemima Goldsmith was the daughetr of one of Britian`s richest men while Sonia Gandhi went to England to become a nanny, where she phasaoed Rajiv Gandhi and is now Queen Empress of India.

Is she mad to remarry when she can sleep with the choicest of studs and make billions in kickbacks and rob this country left right and centre while maintaining a facade of tyag or renounciation.

Please see the facts before commenting.

Regards
Sanatani

Re:sanatani#11

[..Is she mad to remarry when she can sleep with the choicest of studs and make billions in kickbacks and rob this country left right and centre while maintaining a facade of tyag or renounciation. ...]

Yaar sanatani, you are such a spoilsport. I wanted to do some `ungal` to the Pakistanis about their hero Imran Khan and you have thrown water on it. Shame on you!!

Re: # 2 by shah2

whoa...easy on the dude Shah Saheb. Your addressee is in the process of renewed naqsha-bandi [redefining his orientation]

:-)~~

Re: # 3 by Zakkk

That`s the pretty much the entire country`s predicament: ``neither here nor there politically.``

:-)~~

Imran Khan is comparatively young and is in country. The president is not old so next 10 years no other politician has chance. After president leaves still IK will be around. BB and NS will be becoming old and out place person from country is like tooth which is extracted and disposed. That leaves MQM chief.
Now BB is banned and self exiled and NS is not allowed for to come back for many years.
It is kind of wonder that all leadership of our country reside in Vilayat , atleast 70% of vote is controlled by BB,NS and MQM Chief.
MQM Supreme leader has total control of Urban sindh but Sindhis hate him and Punjabis are weary of him and afraid of him.
Devoid of leadership Big Khan will make a move at proper time and he can become leading light of leadership. It it better to not join now and be in wilderness at this time which adds lustre to his reputation. PPP, ML have leaders they will not accomodate him. If things go bad economically and people will get tired after 17 years of General and army will like to hand over to civilian to give them chance , They may Prefer IK than any other. Amry may concede and give him leadership as his has no big followers so he can be replaced when needed as NS.
But army can make mistake if he becomes popular. Bur next 10 years by 2017 no change. Then Imran has chance.

As an Imran fan, I had purchased and read both his biographies many years ago.

One memory lingers. He wrote:
`Who was I to argue with fate that had sprinked me liberally with stardust`.
An eulogy for `having connections`.
He got selected for the national team at age 18, thanks to uncle Javed Burki who was a selector, and off course bombed at the test matches.

Another memory is his interview long ago along with Gavaskar.
When asked if Indo-Pak matches generated more passion among the players, Sunil answered truthfully that yes, it does, what with 3 wars behind us.
Imran to my amazement said no, theres nothing special.
Was he kidding or what? wasn`t Gen Niazi from his tribe?

#9 by rf786, makes sense to me.
>>Fact is, Khan is a by-product of the same corrupt, remote controlled system that has >>given us the lotas (opportunists), feudals (soulless) and mullahs (double-faced).