What was that moment when you decided to join Imran Khan’s struggle for Naya Pakistan?
18th of April 2012 was the day a press conference was held and I said yes.
How do you manage to stay calm and talk with rationale in talk shows especially when some politicians can’t keep their cool?
That’s possibly because of two reasons. First one is to do with basic fundamental personality. The second is how you deal with ideas, concepts and reasons rather than people. And, therefore I don’t hate people on a personal level. One gets angry based on personal likes and dislikes. So it’s a clash of ideas and principle. I will take very strong opinions but I generally don’t get angry.
In such situations, you mostly laugh…
It’s silly watching a grown up man behave like an idiot. So I laugh on stupid arguments. It happened once when I got angry. But generally and broadly speaking that would happen when somebody is making a personal or below the belt attack. That’s the only time I can think of especially if a woman is being targeted. At one particular instance, I remember I really lost my cool.
A Muslim scholar, several centuries back said “I have a staunch faith on this thing that whatever I am saying is the truth but there’s this doubt in my mind that maybe I am wrong.” Just like that I am absolutely sure that whatever my opponent is saying is wrong but I think that maybe he is right. It’s this philosophy of life also. That’s an idea you strongly believe in which is why you take a stand, you make sacrifices but you leave the window open because ultimately you are a human being.
You were involved in policy making for KPK. How successful PTI has been in implementing those policies?
There’s no direct involvement in KP policy making. Their policies are made by the KP government. However, the policies of KP government have been inspired or motivated by the manifesto or policies of the party. Obviously there is a certain amount of influence but other than that we try to play the role of a facilitator. For example, World Bank is working with KP government to promote IT sector so as a part of that they are going for road shows to United States. I am connected with OPEN (Organization of Pakistani entrepreneurs of North America), the biggest business association of Pakistanis in America. I am acting as a coordinator and therefore get things organized so we play facilitative roles like these or share ideas in presentations but policies are made by the KP government itself.
The one in which I was closely involved was the micro hydel policy and in that KP government has done very successful implementation – 300 are completed and 365 will be completed soon in this term. In the next term, they want to take it to 1000. So generally, where we were involved significantly or we have helped or were asked to help, the implementation ratio has been reasonably good.
That one policy you are really content with?
I would pick three things which were exceptional. One is the Billion Tree Tsunami. You must know Pakistan is one of the ten highest at risk countries in the world on environmental changes. We are doing nothing to reverse it but creating destruction so that was the first time in Pakistan’s history, a big environmental impact project was completed reversing the trend of seven decades in Pakistan where trees have been cut. We took on criminal mafias for its implementation. The way it was executed helped the community creating livelihoods, grass root jobs from community involvement and community’s stake was created.
Second would be devolution of power. Everybody in Pakistan agrees that it is the most significant local government system that Pakistan has ever had. It’s the best in Pakistan but it’s even better than the Musharraf system. It’s devolved all the way down to the village level. Compare that with the Federal capital, Islamabad. I had taken legislation to the assembly. That election was finally held on Supreme Court orders but the development funds grant included in this budget for Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation is zero, not even one rupee. So, Islamabad the federal capital has zero allocated development funds. The work will be done but by federal government according to their own wish. And, compare that with a village in KP having their own development funds. In the next 20-30 years, it is this devolution which will change Pakistan completely, taking the power away from the elite. The social structure of Pakistan is as such that 3000 to 4000 people control it because power is centralized. Power will diffuse in the years to come and these elite people will no longer be able to control Pakistan the way they do right now.
And, then if we look at police reform and education, both are equal in terms of their importance. I will give comparison of end result. Again I will give the example of federal capital; there’s a terrorist attack on District Courts Complex F8 in Islamabad, 45 minutes they go chamber into chamber, they kill a judge and a woman named Fizza. The police station was 1km away. This place is literally 2 km away from Prime Minister House, Supreme Court, Assembly and ISI headquarter but there was zero response. Compare that with the latest Church attack in Peshawar. The SSP didn’t even wear uniform and responded in 5 minutes. Why this stark difference because police is not politicized in KP.
Police has transformed in KP as you must have seen the crime graph go down. Whereas crime graph is increasing in Pakistan except for Karachi where rangers operation have curtailed it. If it will be a continuous process, we will see betterment in 15-20 years.
And, the fourth one is education because that’s again for the future. Betterment can be seen in three years. Look at ratings of Alif Ailaan. In primary education, KP has number one overall score in Pakistan.
PTI members generally roam around without any security. We see no police van outside your house either…
I had gone to Karak where Talibans operated until recently. Shehryar Afridi and I crossed Kohat’s boundary to enter Karak. We spotted a police mobile and we asked them what you are doing here. They told us that they have come for us because they knew we were here. We directed them to go back.
What have you done as an MNA for Islamabad?
3rd class job in Pakistan is that of MNA. You are the face the voter sees as they have voted for you. An MNA has zero funds available and zero people reporting to him because the service delivery system is completely broken down and the institutions don’t work. So these are the kind of things people ask me on a daily basis – street light isn’t working or we are not getting permission for a burial in the graveyard. That’s how broken our system is. The only power available in the hands of the MNA is legislation and the over side work which is done in the assembly.
MNA’s while away their lives and spend 3-4 terms doing nothing. I have introduced 5 different bills out of which 4 are Islamabad specific – Islamabad Local Government System, Islamabad Local Government System Amendment Act, Islamabad Rent Control Act, CDA Land Act and a bill on Controller General’s Separation of Powers.
There are two things which I have been able to get approval of from the assembly with 30 votes. One is job quota for youngsters of Islamabad. Earlier, 5% was deducted from salaries of government servants for maintenance but it was zero maintenance done for decades, so we have been able to eliminate that. Apart from that, our teams are working with institutions closely to raise issues, put pressure and see if certain measures can improve lives of people.
After 4 years, I have realized what MNA’s do is as called in the north Ghami Khushi – attend funerals and weddings because they don’t have anything else to do and say how much they are concerned about you as they don’t know how to work in the assembly and hardly hold any power .
You are from Karachi so have you given a thought of contesting elections from Karachi in 2018?
Ideally, that’s how it should have been. I actually joined politics not to be an MNA. I was not interested but Imran Khan was after me. He was reminding me a day after the court decision came on Jehangir Tareen’s case “Asad, you and Jehangir are the only two I consistently went after”. I joined the party, didn’t even ask for the ticket and elections were held already. I was the campaign manager and I didn’t contest elections. Imran Khan was on the hospital bed in Shaukat Khanum and he said “Asad, I need you in the assembly”, hence I ended up being in the assembly through by-elections in Islamabad.
Now since I was elected from Islamabad, the people of Islamabad have been amazing and they have given me so much love and respect. The biggest problem I have in Islamabad is paying for anything. If I have to contest elections from Islamabad again, why not.
These days there is a popular movement amongst youngsters that I contest elections from both the cities.
IMF might impose non-economic conditions on Pakistan. In your opinion, can Pakistan avoid another IMF bailout?
Hafeez Pasha has recently said so. Two guys, Dr. Ashfaq Hasan Khan and I have been saying this for three years and we have been saying this specifically that what Mr. Dar is doing and the economic crisis that we are stuck in will not just have economic consequences, it can have security consequences also. There’s no surprise and this is not a coincidence that Donald Trump has started giving statements against Pakistan all of a sudden because they can see the same thing now.
This is going almost 4 years back. Imran Khan, Arif Alvi, myself and another person were sitting in this room after IMF agreement was signed. These are the exact words which I have repeated 18 months from the day the IMF agreement was signed.
It’s just 14 months since the agreement ended, same is happening and everybody can see where it’s going and so can the Americans. That’s why they have started to put pressure. What non-economic concessions they get out of you remains to be seen. Clearly, there will be non-economic consequences for where we are right now.
What’s PTI’s stance on judiciary’s decision especially in Jehangir Tareen’s case?
In the past few months, there were 4 big decisions by judiciary – Nawaz Shareef case, Imran Khan case, Jehangir Tareen case and Hudaibiya case. Two were in their favor and two in ours. They have created such a big havoc as if they are being targeted. If we feel there is a weakness in the judicial decision, we will as per our constitutional right and the tradition of the legal system give a fair comment on it. But you can’t impute motive and say things like this is done because of a conspiracy or this judge is sold. We’ll use our constitutional right of legal follow up both in the case of Hudaibiya as well as Jehangir Tareen.
It can’t be like if the decision is in your favor, the judiciary is good but if the decision is against you, the judiciary is a conspirator.
Other than the basics …
Your motto in life?
Live your passion.
Do you see Imran Khan as the next Prime Minister of Pakistan?
In late 2013 or 2014 in Shahzeb Khanzada’s show on Express TV, I wrote and signed it for him that Imran Khan is Prime Minister of Pakistan in 2018. He said I will keep it safely and remind you later.
Fondest memory of your corporate and political career?
Difficult to say but I guess launch of Engro foods and its success, if I had to pick one.
Your success mantra?
To keep remembering how insignificant we all are and not to take yourself too seriously.
Are you into music? Which music genre you would like to listen to?
All kinds of music from Qawwali to Ghazals to Pakistani pop to Indian film to rock music to country music.
Your favorite song is…
There are a lot of Urdu songs which I like but when it comes to English songs, my clear favorite has to be Hotel California by Eagles.
If not a businessman or a politician, you would have been..?
I can tell you what I wanted to be which I couldn’t be. My first love in life was the F104 star fighter as I wanted to be a GT pilot and after that I wanted to be a cricketer. So having failed in everything else, I ended up in politics.
One thing you like and dislike about Imran Khan.
If I had to pick one quality of IK which stands out , is his honesty. He says what he believes in whether you like it or not.
What I don’t like about Imran Khan is that while he loves to be entertained as a guest, he is not as hospitable himself. Haha…
This or That…
Karachi or Islamabad?
Karachi
Corporate Titan or Politician?
Neither
Asif Ali Zardari or Nawaz Sharif?
Astaghfirullah
Cricket or Hockey?
Cricket
Allama Iqbal or Faiz Ahmed Faiz?
Allama Iqbal
Summers or winters?
Winters
Kurta Shalwar or Suit?
Kurta Shalwar
