TOPIC OF THE DAY –
“ Prime Minister Imran Khan”
While Imran Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were fairly confident that they would emerge as the largest party in Wednesday’s elections, they could not have imagined that they would make such a strong showing, resulting in Mr. Khan becoming Pakistan’s next Prime Minister. Even some academics, supposedly looking at empirical data, got it very wrong. Although all the results have been neither verified nor notified, and many seats will have to be given up since many contenders, including Mr. Khan who had been leading in all his five constituencies, contested and won from more than one seat, no one is going to dare stand in the way of his greatest, crowning moment. In many cases, the victory margins of the PTI are huge and impressive. The party has even made considerable inroads into former Prime Minister and Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) leader Nawaz Sharif’s fortress of the Punjab, coming a near second. It will probably form government there as well, with many of the Independents and breakaway members. Many key members of the PML(N), including former national and provincial ministers, have been defeated, including in the party’s core constituencies such as Lahore and Faisalabad. The PTI is the first party to be re-elected in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, increasing its seats. Perhaps the biggest shock has been the rout of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) in its perceived stronghold, Karachi, where again the PTI has made significant gains.
The establishment’s man –
There are a number of reasons why the PTI has won. Some of these are part of Pakistan’s perpetual political economy and are more standard, and there is one possible explanation which is particularly bizarre. It has been clear for many months now that Pakistan’s military establishment, with support from the superior judiciary, did not under any circumstances want Mr. Sharif’s party to win. This establishment went out of its way to ensure that he was disqualified and imprisoned, and that many of his former allies and comrades either joined the PTI or contested as Independents. In southern Punjab, several of Mr. Sharif’s allies abandoned him en masse. Furthermore, the MQM in Karachi was broken up into many groups. There was much prepoll rigging by the military. Independent commentary in the media was controlled and censored and many journalists and media houses were threatened and shut down.
Open discussion and those dissenting were threatened in unprecedented ways, reminiscent of Pakistan’s many martial laws. Despite being the military’s favourite representative, Mr. Khan must also be given credit for a forceful campaign. He could not have won without believing that he would. He traversedthe country, speaking at multiple events on the same day in different cities. While the leaders of other parties did the same, he was more visible on electronic media and had a huge presence on social media. He was also told that it was important to have winnable candidates and advised to take many dubious candidates into his party who were considered electable. Pakistan’s demography — with a large proportion of young and first-time voters, called ‘youthias’, supporting the PTI — is also likely to have worked in Mr. Khan’s favour this time more than in 2013, given a considerably mauled PML(N).
WORDS AND MEANINGS –
1) Empirical
Meaning: Based on, concerned with, or verifiable by observation or experience rather than theory or pure logic.
Example: “they provided considerable empirical evidence to support their argument”
Synonyms: Seen, Actual
Antonyms: Theoretical
2) Given up
Meaning: Cease making an effort; admit defeat.
Example: “he wasn’t the kind of man to give up easily”
Synonyms: Surrender, Capitulate
3) Crowning
Meaning: A crowning event or achievement is the best or most important one.
Example: Walking on the moon was his crowning glory (= his most important achievement).
4) Inroads
Meaning: An instance of something being encroached on or reduced by something else.
Example: “the firm is beginning to make inroads into the UK market”
5) Fortress
Meaning: A person or thing not susceptible to outside influence or disturbance.
Example: “he had proved himself to be a fortress of moral rectitude”
6) Breakaway
Meaning: A secession of a number of people from an organization, resulting in the establishment of a new organization.
Example: “a breakaway group”
Synonyms: Separatist, Secessionist
7) Rout
Meaning: A decisive defeat.
Example: “the party lost more than half their seats in the rout”
Synonyms: Defeat
Antonyms: Victory
8) Perceived
Meaning: Become aware of (something) by the use of one of the senses, especially that of sight.
Example: “he perceived the faintest of flushes creeping up her neck”
Synonyms: See, Recognize
9) Perpetual
Meaning: Never ending or changing.
Example: “deep caves in perpetual darkness”
Synonyms: Eternal, Permanent
Antonyms: Transitory, Temporary
10) Bizarre
Meaning: Very strange or unusual.
Example: “a bizarre situation”
Synonyms: Strange, Peculiar
Antonyms: Ordinary, Normal
11) Judiciary
Meaning: The judicial authorities of a country; judges collectively.
Example: “the independence of the judiciary”
12) Ensure
Meaning: Make certain of obtaining or providing (something).
Example: “legislation to ensure equal opportunities for all”
Synonyms: Protect, Guard
13) Comrades
Meaning: A fellow socialist or communist (often as a form of address).
Example: “‘You’re right, comrade’”
14) En masse
Meaning: If a group of people do something en masse, they do it together and at the same time.
Example: The shop’s 85 workers have resigned en masse.
15) Broken up
Meaning: The coming to an end of a business or personal relationship, caused by the separation of those involved.
Example: The break-up of the pop group came as no surprise.
16) Prepoll
Meaning: Early voting (also called pre-poll voting or advance polling) is a process by which voters in a public election can vote prior to the scheduled election day. Early voting can take place remotely, such as via postal voting, or in person, usually in designated early voting polling stations.
17) Shut down
Meaning: If someone shuts a process down, they stop it.
Example: British authorities finally shut down production at the Liverpool plant of the vaccine maker.
18) Dissenting
Meaning: Hold or express opinions that are at variance with those commonly or officially held.
Example: “two members dissented from the majority”
19) Unprecedented
Meaning: Never done or known before.
Example: “the government took the unprecedented step of releasing confidential correspondence”
Synonyms: Unparalleled, Unequalled
Antonyms: Normal, Common
20) Reminiscent
Meaning: Making you remember a particular person, event, or thing.
Example: That song is so reminiscent of my adolescence.
Synonyms: Remembering, Reminding
21) Traversed
Meaning: Travel across or through.
Example: “he traversed the forest”
Synonyms: Cross, Negotiate
22) Winnable
Meaning: Able to be won or gained.
Example: “a tough but winnable game”
23) Dubious
Meaning: Not to be relied upon; suspect.
Example: “extremely dubious assumptions”
Synonyms: Suspicious, Suspect
Antonyms: Trustworthy, Decisive
24) Mauled
Meaning: To criticize something or someone severely.
Example: Both films were mauled by the critics.
