Whoever is Pak PM, real power is with army only

It is Imran who did it. But Pakistani Army was really egging him on. But, is he a good egg? There is nothing to prove it. Imran Khan, the leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and popularly known as 'Laadla' surges ahead his rivals to lead the nation – a result that the Pakistani Army sought and hatched.

So far there had been two established parties playing the ball alongside the three other real powers – the Army, ISI and the terrorists (call them militants too) – Pakistan Muslim League (N) led by Nawaz Sharif's brother and former Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, and Pakistan People's Party (PPP) led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the young Oxford graduate from the famed and tragic Bhutto family.

It is, however, irrelevant as to who is in power (dejure). Pakistan as a State has sanctioned itself a de facto rule and this is where the truth lies. It would be wrong to say that Imran Khan, so far an untested commodity as the Pakistanis' describe him, will do in politics.

India is wary of him too. Because he has shown an alacrity that surprised his own people to some extent in his outreach to religious fundamentalists. It is also true that neither India nor Kashmir was the central theme of the elections. Perhaps, there was no need of it at all as the Army has decided to continue its hold through Imran Khan this time. For all practical purposes, we should say that the Army would be ruling the neighbouring country once again.

But then, this may be an Indian view. Unlike in the past, Pakistanis drove in hordes to vote in the elections, sham or not. As a people, they too have aspirations. They too are entitled to a share of developmental fruits. Can we say that all of Pakistan wants only guns?

That too trained at India? Is the young generation which voted in the elections so blind to life that they only death and destruction. A firm no there. It would be a gross injustice to the commoners. There could be hatred amongst Pakistanis but it would only be as much as that prevails among Indians. Make no mistake. So let us leave their choices to themselves.

If Imran Khan who sought to portray himself as different from the others and is aspiring to change the narrative of Pakistan, let him attempt it. Whether or not he would free Pak from the clutches of the Army, ISI and the likes of Hafiz Sayeed is to be seen. It should be business as usual for us. We have our own tribulations and strife.

India has to take care of its borders as usual and may be with a little more care as the ISI has strategically mainstreamed its terror pawns. How about our own internal strife? Is our democracy healthier? Do the goings-on reflect 'Sab ka Saath, Sab ka Vikas?" Some of the weirdos ruling us seem to be no better than those from across the border. Or, is this what we deserve? Let us be more worried about Hindustan.