Imran Khan Convictions : Can PM Nawaz Sharif Have Courage To Exonerate Him And Proceed With Rebuilding Pakistan’s Economy Peacefully : Akbar not Aurangzeb has to be his role model.
Rajiv Upadhyay 
In Aurangzebian Pakistan, jailing and exiling former prime ministers is regarded as a civilised alternative because the true Aurangzeb followers normally would kill all rivals like brothers Dara Shikoh and Murad .
So it surprised no one in Pakistan when its ‘ His Master’s Voice ‘ judiciary imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan for ten years in a case about revealing state secrets about American threat to his government , for fourteen years in a Gift selling case from Toshakhana along with his wife and for seven years in an un Islamic marriage case for his marriage with Bushra bibi without completion of iddat period after her divorce . From Justice Munir’s doctrine of necessity justifying General Ayub coup to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s hanging , Pakistan’s judiciary has been as much of a national shame as its army .
Fortunately for Bushra bibi unlike Maryam Nawaz , she will not go to traditional jail but her house has been declared a jail . But Imran Khan will remain in jail unless some mutually exile deal is brokered by some friendly government like Qatar , UAE etc .and accepted by a helpless and hopeless Imran Khan .
Unfortunately, in spite of being comparatively the most honest prime minister of Pakistan, he did sell official gifts and did marry Bushra bibi before completion of forty days Iddat period . So his supporters are on back foot legally .They can say others were worse but they can’t prove him innocent .But public is still solidly behind him . It has exonerated him for these trivial wrong doings by a great hero . But unlike young Mandela , Imran is seventy one years old and may not have stamina or will to remain in prison too long . Once Nawaz Sharif becomes the prime minister again he would be forgotten . The nation that did not rise on hanging of Zulfikar will remain quiet after the fake elections particularly because Imran Khan electoral victory was as fake as fourth time prime minister’s Nawaz’s next likely victory.
Here lies Nawaz’s golden chance !
Every one knows that Pakistan can disintegrate in the next five years if Nawaz government fails in restoring Pakistan’s economy after elections . The entire corruption based political culture and the economic culture of non tax payment by the rich and powerful needs to be changed and hegemonical Punjabis . To begin, with apart from debt rescheduling , Pakistan needs an injection of fifty billion dollars of foreign capital and long term self sufficiency in manufacturing . Agricultural productivity needs use of costly inputs like more fertilisers , better seeds and pesticides and needs price support for wheat, cotton, dals and sugar cane crops. Exports will need subsidy as industrialised Bangladesh and Vietnam cannot be easily defeated. Public will expect better life and control on inflation and lowering of the price of essential goods with in a year at best !
Look at the plight of Rishi Sunak in UK after Brexit’s expected failure and COVID and Ukraine war ! He is doing the right thing by first bringing down the inflation and not letting the uninformed public expectations ruin the long term economic revival of British economy. But the ignorant British public wants his crucification even if it harms Britain’s survival chances as a great nation.
Nawaz needs to be as focussed on improving the economy and ensuring survival of Pakistan as a nation . He has to enlist support of all patriotic people and rise above his past insults and ill treatment.
The biggest challenge will be the army . Army will want to be remote controller as before and it shall be the ultimate disaster ! Pakistani Army is extremely selfish , pompous and economically illiterate but is not unpatriotic . If educated constantly and handled with care, it may give Nawaz the freedom he needs and even shun terrorism as a tool against India like other neighbouring countries . It is a must for saving Pakistan irrespective of Lal Topies and Saad Rizvis in ISI.
Aging Nawaz will like Maryam to succeed him . But she will have to be humble, large hearted and patient rather than vain and pompous and needs fatherly coaching and great political and economic advisors to be an Indira Gandhi . Coterie based power structure , and Feminine ego based emotional politics will destroy the chance of Pakistan’s survival after Nawaz.
Imran Khan voluntary exit from active politics is essential . Only Nawaz has the international goodwill and proven ability to manage political contradictions faced by Pakistan at present . But he has to rise above his known weaknesses.
So can Imran be released and won by generosity ?
Unlikely , like Yasser Arafat he can turn any future Oslo like accord to Prophet’s Hudbiyan treaty for gaining breathing time before launching next attack ! Even the saint Gandhi failed in changing the adamant Jinnah . But he needs to be won as Pakistan needs all round peace for development or will cease to be a country if Nawaz fails at this crucial moment in history.
Nawaz has to put his best team on bringing this change in Pakistan’s culture. He is the only one capable of saving Pakistan at present but
he has to be an Akbar and not an Aurangzeb !
