DR Tahirul Qadri’s departure from the Constitution Avenue without anything to show for the effort was a disappointment to many and a bit of relief to others.

Some critics have openly forecast a similar fate for the PTI. Such people base their conclusions on their belief that Imran Khan’s journey will come to an end the minute he steps into the prime minister’s office.

They may like to have a second look at the man and re-read his message. For men such as he, occupancy of the seat of all power may not matter more than a temporary wayside stop. The war that Mr Khan has chosen to fight begins from there but doesn’t end there.

The builder of new Pakistan would need barrels of midnight oil and streams of sweat.

He will need to acquire and keep in tow overwhelming support of the people after the elections. That will require some doing.

Now to sit-in. In every battle, there comes a stage of apparent stalemate during which both sides seem tired and look almost ready to give up the battle as lost. It is here that the leader ‘who can wait and not be tired of waiting’ will ultimately come out victorious. In this case if outright victory has so far eluded Mr Khan, there is hardly any reason for the PML-N to feel complacent. The situation is finely balanced.

One false step and a deluge follows.

M. Zafar

Karachi

Published in Dawn, October 31st, 2014