Interview: With Imran Khan through thick and thin (The News: January 16, 2012)
Islamabad
Saifullah Khan Niazi, the PTI Central Additional Secretary General, epitomises the ideological worker who is the backbone of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf. He has been with Imran Khan in laying the foundations of the Party in 1996 and continues to work quietly to ensure that the Party’s organisational structure is developed along modern and scientific lines from the grassroots up. Saifullah is a man who is driven by the Party ideology and has single-mindedly devoted his life — literally — to this cause.
In 1993, he made a conscious decision to leave the USA and return to Pakistan so that he could do something for his country which he sees as “a land rich in natural resources which can be made into a flourishing nation where all the people are prosperous, and a country which can take its rightful place in the global community. It is these ideas that drove me to return to Pakistan where I finished my higher education by getting a Masters in Business Administration (MBA).”
Contrary to the popular perception that the PTI has suddenly gained a tsunami-like popularity or that it is a new phenomenon on the political scene of Pakistan, the reality is that the PTI today stands where it does because of the persistent hard work by people like Saifullah Khan Niazi over the last 16 years. This band of committed workers not only vowed to serve Pakistan but believed in the leadership of Imran Khan enough to dedicate their lives to the PTI in the hope of realising their dream for this country.
Saifullah was asked why when every Pakistanis dreams of going to the USA, he left that country and headed back to Pakistan despite the prevailing feeling of despondency amongst the younger generation? Without hesitation he responded by saying that this is precisely what brought him back. This prevailing sense of despondency caused him concern. “I was worried about Pakistan’s future. Here was a country bestowed with God’s bounty and all we needed to do was to use these resources to give our people hope and justice and become a role model for the rest of the world.”
When asked, cynically, how this could happen now when for 64 years this had not been possible, Saifullah was equally clear in his response. “Until now Pakistan, after the Quaid, had not found a brave, honest and capable leader who was neither purchasable nor vulnerable to disappointment and setbacks. During the Pakistan Movement we had Quaid-i-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah to lead so we snatched Pakistan from the British imperialists and the Hindu majority of the subcontinent. Today, after a long time we have in Imran a figure like the Quaid, who is Imran’s role model. Imran wants to realise the Quaid’s vision for Pakistan. His honesty is unquestionable and his resolve and determination are also there for everyone to see.”
Again, on being asked how this vision can be made a reality in the face of the opportunists and self-seekers now entering the PTI’s fold and dominating it, Saifullah had a different view. While he conceded that all sorts of people were entering the PTI after the Lahore ‘jalsa’, he was equally vehement in denying that these new entrants had taken over the Party. According to Saifullah, even though some people with questionable integrity also flocked to the Muslim League during the Pakistan Movement, the Quaid still succeeded because of his resolve and integrity. “We say that with the same tools of honesty and dedication, we will also secure our Party against such opportunists.”
Saifullah proceeded to explain that as the PTI moves from being a Movement to an Organisation, it will achieve its goals and keep the opportunists at bay. As he explained, despite the popular perception being created of election commitments being doled out to new entrants, the PTI has in fact made no commitment or promise to anyone for a Party ticket. He reiterated that there is no confusion on this point that the CEC will decide on this issue just as it will decide on who gets what Party Office. “Close to the elections we will have in place a Parliamentary Board and a Scrutiny Committee with people like Justice (r) Wajiuddin Ahmed and Hamid Khan as members and their credentials are impeccable.” The Parliamentary Board would be given its operational parameters and the PTI works on the principle that its ideological workers and youth are the Party’s main assets, so they cannot be left out when it comes to tickets and party offices. “After all, these are the people who clung on to their dream for 16 years”, remarked Saifullah. He went on to add that new people will be welcomed since many of them are sincere and if rules were followed then there will be no battle line between the old and the new.
Talking of the Party organisation in which he is playing a key role, Saifullah explained that they are building on the foundations of “census block code” upwards, reaching out to workers so that competent people rise up from the grassroots’ level. To educate the party workers study circles are being created so that the Party can familiarise itself with the thinking of the common man and the workers can learn about the Party ideology and policies — a “two-way” learning process as Saifullah put it.
How will the party approach the common man? “By adopting all modern means of communication including the social media.
www.insaf.pk is our website, managed by ideological workers, which keeps everyone updated on our activities and is a forum for dialogue and information”, Saifullah pointed out.
Saifullah Khan Niazi has before him the whole history of the PTI and he has been involved not only in the organisational build up of the Party since 1996 leading to the 2002 elections, but also in the PTI’s frontline role in the Restoration of the Judiciary Movement of 2007. His organisational skills came to the fore on 13th August 2011 at the extraordinary rally in front of the parliament in Islamabad where he was the main organiser. Most recently the Karachi ‘jalsa’ was also a result of this evolving organisational structure.
It is Saifullah’s optimism that stands out when he talks of Pakistan and the PTI. “The blessings described in ‘Sura Rahman’ are all present in Pakistan”, he declares. Then he enthuses, Pakistan is again getting united under PTI as people join the Party on the basis of ‘Pakistaniat’. ‘Hum ek Hain’ (we are One) is our rallying cry and this is the new phase of Pakistan’s history when Pakistanis will be proud again of being Pakistani.
Only time will tell if his optimism will prove correct but for now it is sustaining him and the PTI workers through the trying times confronting this country today.
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