turned politician Imran Khan (center) makes a point during an interview with Saudi Gazette's Managing Editor Shams Ahsan (extreme right) as Zultec Chairman and CEO Zulqiurnain Ali Khan looks on. — SG photo by Mohammad Mazahar Siddiqui Imran Khan, the legendary cricket captain of Pakistan who won the World Cup for his country in 1992, has always been a crowd-puller. He was always respected as a captain who led from the front. But when he entered politics not many people paid attention. However, Imran, known for his tenacity and perseverance, did not lose focus. His focus was and still is to fight corruption and end what he calls Pakistan's “subservience” to the US. Last October he proved that he has come of age in politics and has become a force to be reckoned with when he drew more than 100,000 people in a mass rally in Lahore, then another 100,000 in a rally in Karachi in December. Bigwigs from rival parties have started joining hands with him. “For the first time we have given a choice to the people stuck in the two-party system. Suddenly they see a viable third option so people are coming to us,” Imran Khan told Saudi Gazette's Managing Editor Shams Ahsan in an interview in Jeddah Sunday. Here are excerpts from the interview: Q: What's the purpose of your visit to the Kingdom? A: It's purely for Umrah. For seven years I have not had time to come here for Umrah. It's purely a spiritual journey. Q: You seem to be a person in a tearing hurry. You are holding mass rallies, visiting rural areas. Do you smell victory this time? A: We will sweep the elections because the people of Pakistan have decided to vote against the parties in power. All those political parties which are in power, all of them have sunk together with (President Asif Ali) Zardari due to the worst-ever governance and corruption in the history of Pakistan. We became the only genuine opposition to them. The negative vote is far stronger than the positive vote. People trust us. I'm the only politician people trust with their money. But basically people are sick of these political parties and that's why they have started coming to us. And this is not a new thing. It has been a slow process over the last three years. The more disillusioned they became the more they looked for hope and change which is our party. It is the total disillusionment with them (parties in power) which is why people are coming to us. Q: You stand for democracy and upholding the principles of democracy. A: Yes Q: Then why do you boycott elections? You boycotted the 2008 elections, you boycotted the by-polls, don't you think it will go against your party? A: We boycotted the elections in 2008 because that election was an NRO (National Reconciliation Ordinance) election brokered by (former US Secretary of State) Condoleezza Rice and the Bush administration where all corruption cases were waived off against criminals so that they could come in the government and take dictation from the US. We boycotted because: First, it was the worst type of pre-poll rigging; second, the chief justice was under house arrest when the election was declared. We thought the NRO was illegal and unconstitutional; later on it was proved so by the Supreme Court. We thought the PCO (Provisional Constitutional Order of 2007) was illegal under which the elections were called; the Supreme Court called it illegal. We predicted that this government under the unholy NRO would be the worst government in the history of Pakistan, and this election was not for the people of Pakistan. It was actually for the government to serve American interests, and that's what happened. Q: How much democracy is there in your party? A: We are about to launch the biggest membership campaign in the history of Pakistan. At the end of the membership campaign, we will have elections in all tiers of the party. It will be the first genuinely elected party right from the Union Council upwards. Q: A number of big names recently joined you. How do you make sure that they are not tainted? A: So far the best political class is joining us. And all the big names that are coming to us do not have any financial corruption cases against them. People like Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Javed Hashmi, Azam Swati, Khwaja Hoti... these are big names. Q: Why have they joined you? A: Because for the first time we have given a choice to the people stuck in the two-party system. Suddenly they see a viable third option so people are coming to us. But our leadership will eventually be decided by members of PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf). We will have an elected leadership. Q: This government seems to be distancing itself from the US of late. Where are Pakistan-US ties heading to? A: There is no way this government can distance itself from America, because they rely on American aid; they rely on American loans. Q: Do you think Pakistan can survive without this aid? A: We have to survive without American aid otherwise Pakistan will always be catering for the interests of another county rather than its own interests. For instance, the whole war on terror was not in the interests of the people of Pakistan. We have lost 40,000 people; our economy has lost $70 billion. The total aid has been less than $20 billion. So the people of Pakistan have lost out in fighting someone else's war. Our electricity is produced by imported furnace oil; it is the most expensive electricity. Pakistan to be a sovereign country must be self-sufficient and must stand on its feet. Q: Can you do it overnight? A: It has to be done overnight. The sacrifice has to be made sooner than later. Q: How can you wean away Pakistan from US aid and take measures to stop drone attacks? A: Drones are counter-productive. This is the most senseless and immoral way of fighting a war. It has created more anti-Americanism. It has created more militancy. And the Pakistanis have paid the price for revenge attacks against drones. Q: Then what's the solution? A: If you want to be partners in peace and have Pakistan help you in an exit strategy, it has to be a political solution. The military solution has failed in Afghanistan, it has failed in Pakistan. So if Pakistan has a credible government it can become a partner in peace. It can't be treated as a hired gun any more where we are being paid to fight someone else's war. This will eventually destroy Pakistan. Q: How does Pakistan balance its friendship in the Arab world and its ties with Iran, which has recently offered 80,000 barrels a day of oil to Pakistan on a three-month deferred payment plan? A: Pakistan should not take sides. Saudi Arabia is a long-tried friend of Pakistan and that friendship has stood the test of time. We can act as a bridge in resolving differences. But Pakistan cannot afford to take sides. Because you cannot change your neighbors and we do not want to lose Saudi Arabia as a friend. It will be a disaster for Pakistan to take sides because either way Pakistan will lose out. Q: What about Pakistan's stand on the Syrian crisis? A: In a conflict like Syria, Pakistan should play a neutral role. On one side Pakistan should back all democratic movements which I completely agree with, on the other side I have to say that I don't agree with any form of dictatorship. But we have to be careful because the dealing is selective in backing democracies in the Middle East. Q: What do you think is the reason for resurrecting the Mehrangate after a lapse of 13 years? What will be its political fallout? A: It's a landmark case in Pakistan's history because first of all I'm very happy that this case has finally come to the Supreme Court because we are being accused of being backed by the establishment. This case will establish which political parties have been given money by the establishment. This case is important because Pakistan's democracy has moved on. We don't want any interference by the establishment in democracy. This case could put an end to the interference of agencies in Pakistan's democratic process. Q: Pakistan's Supreme Court last Tuesday summoned Cabinet Secretary Nargis Sethi as a witness in contempt proceedings against Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and adjourned the high-profile case till March 7. What do you think will be the fate of Gilani? A: It is a travesty of justice that the prime minister instead of protecting the interest of the people is protecting the president who siphoned off $65 million of taxpayers' money. He should be held in contempt. Q: You denounced the resolution on Balochistan presented in the House of Representatives in the United States and termed it a breach of Pakistan's sovereignty; you are against APC. What do you think is the solution to the Balochistan problem? A: Balochistan's solution lies in political settlement. But it's quite complex. Unfortunately Baloch sardars (leaders) who have now picked up the guns are also responsible for the crisis. The system is the same as it existed under the British rule. They patronize the sardars so that they control the population. The British never had any relationship with the people; they had created feudal lords. They had a relationship with them, strengthened them, who then controlled the people. And the successive Pakistan governments have followed the same policy and as a result the people of Balochistan have suffered while the sardars have become stronger. Now it's a question of developing a relationship with the people of Balochistan. They have genuine grievances but some of them are now backed by foreign powers. It needs a multi-pronged strategy to deal with the situation. This government has wasted four years; it could easily have done something in four years. Q: The Election Commission recently gave a green light to overseas Pakistanis' voting rights. Do you think it could become a reality in the coming elections? A: This the best thing happening on the petition of Tehreek-e-Insaf. This Tehreek-e-Insaf petition has gone to the Supreme Court. And this petition is not just for overseas Pakistanis but for fresh electoral roles. And that's what the Supreme Court has ordered the election commission to do. Q: What would you offer to Pakistanis in general and overseas Pakistanis in particular if you come to power? A: Overseas Pakistanis are Pakistan's biggest assets and they should have a say in Pakistan's democracy. We will consider them as our biggest assets. We hope to use their human capital because many of them are very talented, educated, and qualified. We will tap into this big resource. We will create an enabling environment in Pakistan. By destroying corruption and creating a good governance system from top to bottom, we will create an enabling environment for overseas Pakistanis to come and invest in the country. __
