It was quite a shock to hear a young relative say, "I and my friends never read any of your stuff, you always write against our hero (Imran Khan)". The tragedy is that even after eleven months of misrule by the so-called Mr. Clean, he still has a following. It won't be long before his brainwashed followers become disillusioned. We have seen it happen before, when the people overthrew Ayub Khan and Bhutto.
When Ayub took over the country, people welcomed him with open arms. There was a great deal of progress under his military rule. Like all dictators, he targeted those who opposed him, muzzled the print media and used the state-controlled radio and television to project himself as an incorruptible savior of the country. But towards the end, he had grown vastly unpopular and it wasn't long before the people came out on the streets and he was sent home.
The same thing happened with Bhutto. He too was an autocrat and jailed his opponents without giving them a fair trial. He too was against freedom of the press. The massive rigging of the 1977 elections was the last straw. He too was overthrown by people's power, and had to pay the ultimate penalty.
In Imran Khan, I see another dictator, one who displays a flagrant contempt for the law. He is using state institutions to suppress dissent. He is arresting those who point out his mistakes and corruption. He too is threatening the media to refrain from criticizing him, forgetting that times have changed and the internet cannot prevent the truth from being told.
So, to the young and old brainwashed ones I say, "A free media is essential for the country, the country would never have been divided in 1971 if Ayub had allowed the press to flourish, and those who point out the government's mistakes are the real assets of the country". And I predict that they will realize the truth of what I say when massive protests erupt against this illegal "selected" government and Imran Khan has to go home.
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