Chiranjibi Paudyal
Sep 5, 2018 · 4 min read

What can corrupt politicians learn from Imran Khan? Capitalist cricketer pledges for socialist society, why not political leaders create fairer, equal and justifiable society?

Legend cricket captain. Anti corruption campaigner. A reformer. Peoples’ politician. Hero of Muslims. Savior of corruption gripped Pakistan. The list of praise goes on for Imran Khan since he was elected Prime Minister of Pakistan.

Imran Khan, newly elected prime minister of Pakistan, has launched massive reform campaigns to improve the overall economic condition of underprivileged population and vowed to abolish corruption, tax evasion and mainstream the extremists and build new Pakistan. Despite the extreme difficulties in Pakistan including the threat of Taliban and Islamic extremists, bitter relationship with immediate neighbour India over the issue of Kashmir, and with other nations, rudimentary religious fundamentalists, high level corruption, history of military rule and divided political parties, the new prime minister has vowed to bring revolutionary changes and build justifiable and equitable society in his country.

Imran started the process of his reforms even before taking the oath on Friday saying that he would turn the luxurious prime minister’s residence to a world class research university and live in a small three bed room house, auction 33 expensive bulletproof cars of the prime minister, and will set the examples of good governance from himself and change the nation. He has also vowed to reform education, health and judiciary system, make the investment friendly investment policy, and most importantly the working style of the government. He has also appealed the overseas Pakistanis to invest, and said he would do everything he could to facilitate them to invest in their home country and be part of his development dream of Pakistan.

Most of the politicians’ election rhetoric do not translate to the action after they are elected. However, Imran’s speeches and commitment of 22 years of his political life consistent, reliable and honest, as he started to implement his dream of making new Pakistan from the very day of his taking over the helm of the country.

Imran has said time and again that he is not a career politician like other political party leaders. Of course, everyone knows he was a renowned cricketer turned politician. He has not come to the politics to enjoy power and be celebrity nor to earn money or continue the family inheritance of politics like Gandhis in India, Bhuttos and Sharifs of Pakistan and Koiralas in Nepal. He entered politics to make change, to bring prosperity to the people of Pakistan. Even before coming to politics, he was very rich and could live a luxurious life without any difficulties and struggles and even threaten to his life from Taliban, national and international forces. Despite this he came to politics and campaigned vigorously only with a dream to change living standard of his people. He is a capitalist and a Muslim. But he has said that he would create a just and equitable society like Medina, which was like Vedic period socialist society, where each and everyone was able to get basic needs: education, health, food, housing. Everyone was treated equally like the unreal Communist utopian society where everyone has food, housing and clothing.

Can developing world follow the examples of Imran and take some simple steps to bring change in the life of millions of people, who are struggling to make ends meet, and where the gap between rich and poor has increased drastically due to inequal distribution of resources, opportunities, corruption and bad governance.

Khan has challenges, even threat to his life, nationally and internally, because of his close association with the Taliban as some of his critics call him Taliban Khan. He even wants to bring the international terrorists to the mainstream politics. Though this is the right way to end the violence and terrorism, there are challenges to this as army and international community including the USA would oppose this idea.

A celebrity cricketer turned politician has that courage and commitment to fulfil his dream of development and prosperity of Pakistan, then why not career politicians around the world make such pledges to the people? Politicians of the Islamic world including Turkey and others praised Imran but why can not they make any pledge to their people?

Like Khan leaders can introduce a tax system to spend the money on the neediest, create job opportunities to millions of youths who are compelled to work in the gulf and abroad, abolish the exploitation in the private schools and health services and improve the government schools.

Khan is neither a Communist nor a career politician, he is a billionaire celebrity and wants to give everything to the community and country even without caring the threat for his life. He said: “I will fight the corrupt. Either this country will survive or the corrupt people.’’