The Socratic Sting WHO CAN CHANGE PAKISTAN FOR THE BETTER? THE RISK-TAKING RADICALS OR THE RISK AVERSE CONSERVATIVES? Imran -Qadri phenomenon seems to have divided public intellectuals of Pakistan into two major camps.on one side there are those enthusiastic supporters of a radical change in this country through a kind of peoples revolution by galvanizing the protest movement into mass mobilization which could act as a catalyst for vaporizing not just the govt. but also the old order of privilege, power, and pelf for the few at the expense of many..Their central premise is that the prevalent rotten system of governance alternating between the politicians and the khakis since long has plumbed to such depths that its beyond piece meal repair and the only Option is to replace it with a better one by its overall transformation.Veiwed in the time scale, their case appears to be unassailable because its the case that people have experienced govt. after govt., both elected and unelected, failing them on issues which directly affect their lives.Rhetoric of Khan and Qadri resonates with them particularly following serious allegations of irregularities in May polls and additionally due to passivity of the govt. and the parliament to the demands of the protesters.Therefore, their argument goes that the only Option as a reasonable recourse is siding with the radicals, even if it involes risks because the deprived have nothing to lose in any case as things have already hit the rock bottom. In the opposite camp we find those risk-averse conservatives , who are sympathetic to the cause of Khan but loath disruption in the prvelant system dreading derailment of democratic dispensation.They council patience and evolutionary path within the parameters of constitution.However, their argument implies reasoning which leans towards optimistic reliance on evolutionary process and change in the character of the political establishment required for initiating a change antithetical to the interests of the of such an establishment.
Posted on: Tue, 07 Oct 2014 07:53:49 +0000
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