Imran Khan still leads from the front
nated its civilian politics. Sharif has commented, only half in jest, that Imran is older than him.
His political beliefs are a curious amalgam of ending all that is believed to be wrong in Pakistan: from corruption to the intervention of external powers (read the US). His eclectic beliefs have drawn supporters as far apart as liberals to those in the religious right and supporters of the Taliban.
As Pakistan heads for its next general election, Khan’s strengths are obvious. For his followers, he retains the aura of the cricket captain and represents the princi- ples of merit and performance. This is at the core of his personal charisma and the sheer amount of time he has been in the public eye means that it is natural that there is the argument that he too should be given a chance. For his detractors, his politics represents that part of Pakistan that lacks scruples and will go to any length to attain his personal goals. For the analytically inclined, he is an instrument for Pakistan’s military to keep in check Sharif in his efforts to see that his party forms the government again.
For a charismatic political figure who leads from the front, it is inevitable that Imran’s personal and political life will be inseparable as far as public scrutiny is concerned. His second wife’s account of the short marriage is a handy weapon for his opponents who have been at the receiving end of Khan’s allegations and smear campaigns.
Iftikar Chaudhury, the former chief justice of Pakistan and the cause of General Musharraf’s downfall, has claimed that Khan has suppressed the fact that he has an illegitimate daughter. Whether all this translates into more than mild embarrassment is difficult to say.
The real battle lies ahead in the villages and towns of Punjab against Sharif who has a different kind of charisma and one that has been reinforced by a track record as a prime minister who does easily not take orders from the military.
TCA Raghavan is a former high commissioner to Pakistan The views expressed are personal