08-02-2014
The Vice of Arrogance and the Virtue of Humility — by Akbar Babar
Boastful and arrogant claims have a way of coming back and haunting you while humility in a person only elevates his/her stature by accepting mistakes and retracing the wrongful steps.
The PTI leader has a long record of making tall claims from ending hereditary politics to zero tolerance for corruption. Some of his claims are fast unraveling under the test of time and others are under severe strain. From an icon of IK’s scorn to a political advisor calling the shots in Rawalpindi region, the newfound fondness for Sheikh Rasheed buried one such claim recorded on camera. The claim of ending hereditary politics was exposed during allocation of party tickets particularly in KPK. Now the tallest claim of all; zero tolerance for corruption is being put to the public test by PTI loyalists holding a convention at Aiwan-e-Iqbal in Lahore on February 9, 2014.
Inside information of recent meetings of the PTI top brass indicates that arrogance feigning humility still prevails. Those championing the cause of transparency and accountability are being labeled as enemies out to destroy the party at PML(N) behest. In a meeting yesterday chaired by the Chairman PTI and attended by most of the top PTI brass, the initial drift of discussion was in favor of launching a public vilification campaign against the organizers of the Lahore convention. When few volunteered to put their face in the public eye, the KPK Information Minister was tasked to lead the public slander campaign. As part of the carrot and stick strategy, a committee was also formed with the business cum politician as its head. The committee includes the weeping lady of PTI and the newfound PTI master tactician whose drawing room boasts about the performance of the KPK government generate rashes all over the body. The seriousness of the committee to negotiate can be judged from their early overtures during which they wanted to know the demands of the transparency and accountability drive which even the half brain dead know by now. Side by side the negotiation overture, an intense campaign is also under way to wean away PTI activists active to make the February 9 convention a success with all kinds of lollipops on offer.
As I write these lines, frantic phone calls are going to and fro between those allegedly expelled from the party, according to the PTI Pied Piper, and IK’s confidants. Whereas, a mere touch of humility with a tangible offer of internal reform to a fast engulfing PTI identity crisis could do the trick. All that is needed is a genuine offer to set up an independent accountability commission through an all inclusive process particularly the aggrieved PTI fund raisers. And, to demonstrate the sincerity of the offer, a handful of chronic and known delinquents need to be suspended pending an independent inquiry.
Instead of hiding behind boastful arrogance of ‘I will not be blackmailed,’ two simple actions of humility could turn the February 9 event from a day of protest to a day of celebration.
The Vice of Arrogance and the Virtue of Humility — by Akbar Babar
Boastful and arrogant claims have a way of coming back and haunting you while humility in a person only elevates his/her stature by accepting mistakes and retracing the wrongful steps.
The PTI leader has a long record of making tall claims from ending hereditary politics to zero tolerance for corruption. Some of his claims are fast unraveling under the test of time and others are under severe strain. From an icon of IK’s scorn to a political advisor calling the shots in Rawalpindi region, the newfound fondness for Sheikh Rasheed buried one such claim recorded on camera. The claim of ending hereditary politics was exposed during allocation of party tickets particularly in KPK. Now the tallest claim of all; zero tolerance for corruption is being put to the public test by PTI loyalists holding a convention at Aiwan-e-Iqbal in Lahore on February 9, 2014.
Inside information of recent meetings of the PTI top brass indicates that arrogance feigning humility still prevails. Those championing the cause of transparency and accountability are being labeled as enemies out to destroy the party at PML(N) behest. In a meeting yesterday chaired by the Chairman PTI and attended by most of the top PTI brass, the initial drift of discussion was in favor of launching a public vilification campaign against the organizers of the Lahore convention. When few volunteered to put their face in the public eye, the KPK Information Minister was tasked to lead the public slander campaign. As part of the carrot and stick strategy, a committee was also formed with the business cum politician as its head. The committee includes the weeping lady of PTI and the newfound PTI master tactician whose drawing room boasts about the performance of the KPK government generate rashes all over the body. The seriousness of the committee to negotiate can be judged from their early overtures during which they wanted to know the demands of the transparency and accountability drive which even the half brain dead know by now. Side by side the negotiation overture, an intense campaign is also under way to wean away PTI activists active to make the February 9 convention a success with all kinds of lollipops on offer.
As I write these lines, frantic phone calls are going to and fro between those allegedly expelled from the party, according to the PTI Pied Piper, and IK’s confidants. Whereas, a mere touch of humility with a tangible offer of internal reform to a fast engulfing PTI identity crisis could do the trick. All that is needed is a genuine offer to set up an independent accountability commission through an all inclusive process particularly the aggrieved PTI fund raisers. And, to demonstrate the sincerity of the offer, a handful of chronic and known delinquents need to be suspended pending an independent inquiry.
Instead of hiding behind boastful arrogance of ‘I will not be blackmailed,’ two simple actions of humility could turn the February 9 event from a day of protest to a day of celebration.
