Imran Khan claims that since he began “to believe in the fundamentals of Islam”, he has “discovered the truth” and transformed his life. “I have lost all fear of human beings”, he writes boldly, “I have broken out of the self-imposed prisons of materialism and egotism [and] become a better and more tolerant human being who feels compassion for the underprivileged”. Armed with the “truth”, Imran has now embarked on a journey to transform the lives of less privileged fellow Pakistanis.
Imran should be supported in his noble endeavours because no one can doubt his sincerity. His “spiritual evolvement” should also be a source of inspiration to all of us. By the same token, however, Imran must know that no one is infallible. Nor can anyone possibly claim a monopoly of the “truth” even if he thinks that he is a better Muslim than most of us. In this context, therefore, we feel it is important to engage in a sincere debate about some of the important issues Imran has raised.
We agree with him that most of us practise “selective” versions of Islam and suffer from some sort of an “inferiority complex” or “colonial hang-up” which compels us “to ape Western values” and put a premium on becoming “brown sahibs”. He is right when he accuses our politicians of “lacking self-esteem” and “licking the boots of the West”. We also endorse his attack on our grubby, uncaring ruling elites which have brought this God-given country to the brink of disaster.
But we must confess disquiet with some sweeping and rather simplistic prescriptions mooted by Imran Khan. For instance, he thinks that by wearing shalwar-kameez we can restore our “pride and self-esteem”. Alas, if only life were so simple. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto popularised the shalwar-kameez in the 1970s. But where did such demagoguery get us? Zia ul Haq and his cohorts had a penchant for shalwar-kameez plus achkans, but they were the most hypocritical, self-serving and dishonest men who ever ruled this country. Mr Nawaz Sharif and Ms Benazir Bhutto love their shalwar-kameezes as much as Imran Khan does. Why, then, don’t they have the same “pride and self-esteem” that marks their detractor?
Imran wants women to “stay at home and look after the children until they are ready for high school”. Alternatively, he believes, if they want to work, they shouldn’t have children. This would suggest that women who work (because they must, in order for the family to better its lot) shouldn’t do so, which is nonsensical. Imran Khan’s prescription is all the more baffling because it stops women from contributing to the wealth of society in a productive and creative manner and effectively disenfranchises half of humanity from enriching society.
Imran has also been ranting against the English language because he thinks it is an alien influence which divides society into the privileged and underprivileged. Accordingly, he is in favour of promoting our national language Urdu at the expense of English so that we can repossess “pride and self-esteem”. While we empathise with Imran’s concerns, we cannot help but wonder whether he has seriously confused cause with effect and succumbed to misplaced concreteness.
Of course, we must take pride in our national language and constantly seek to enrich it in everyday life. But to do so at the cost of English would perpetuate the very barriers to social mobility which Imran frowns upon. By denying English to the masses, our ruling elites have reserved the best jobs in modern society for their offspring. Imran’s “nationalistic” recipe, however well intentioned, would unfortunately have the same negative effect and strengthen the divisions between the haves and have nots. Instead of depriving the middle-classes of English, we should instead do everything possible to equip them with it. By decrying the utility of the modern world’s most dynamic language, we do a great disservice to the cause of our people and our nation.
Imran Khan, it is also said, has become less than transparent about some of his erstwhile friends. As everyone knows, his public campaign couldn’t have taken off without the dedication and hard work put in by the folks at Pasban. Why, then, has he now become reluctant to admit his affiliation with Mr Mohammad Ali Durrani? Similarly, Imran is thought to be less than candid about his liaison with General Hamid Gul. Considering the controversial, though by no means unimpressive public record of these two eminent gentlemen, Imran needs to frankly enlighten his followers about where they stand in his scheme of things.
Imran Khan is quite correct in stressing the necessity of “pride and self-esteem” in nation-building. Since no nation is an island, he must, however, take care that his prescriptions for imbibing these virtues do not flounder on the rock of xenophobic nationalism or isolationalism. National pride and self-esteem do not, per se, flow from the sort of clothes we wear or the language we speak or indeed the religion we profess. They flow from a vibrant, fully employed, educated and creative society that can match the West on universal human terms.