By: Fatima Zehra
"We will make Pakistan a place where people come from other countries to seek jobs.” -Imran Khan
Dancing to the dhol and waving the party's red and green flag, thousands of followers of Imran Khan's Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) filled the far-reaching Minar-e-Pakistan ground on October 30, 2011.
"Who will save Pakistan? Imran Khan, Imran Khan," the crowd roared.
According to media reports at least 100,000 people gathered to see the former cricketer, whose anti-American, anti-corruption approach has made him a sensation; especially among the elite urban youth.
Like countless other people, I also waited eagerly for what Khan had to say in the historic rally that took place at the heart of Pakistan: Lahore. It was great to see Khan giving his speech with confidence and trust in his people, as he stood there without a bulletproof shield.
He made some interesting comments about the social problems persisting in the country, the opposition parties, the government and his own party policies.
“PTI will not allow the military to attack its people, PTI believes in talks with the tribals.”-Imran Khan
The cricket hero, who led Pakistan to winning a World Cup in 1992, is certain that he has the answer to Pakistan's problems.
''Pakistan is not a poor country; ‘it is very rich in natural resources’. Pakistan has 180 billion tonnes of coal reserves which means we can export electricity to the world''-Imran Khan
But opponents have a different story to tell about the hero and his party: his party has no seats in parliament and it is criticized for deficient support amongst the masses and infrastructure needed to win an election.
The flip side: The PTI in its formative years has already achieved a lot under the leadership of Imran Khan. The massive following of the youth and a clear political mandate has surely set them on track to finally achieving something. Whilst, the other top parties have wasted their chance by failing to bring about a change in the fortune of the masses.
“Pakistan will never beg again; Imran Khan will die but won’t beg,”-Imran Khan
The PTI head warned his opponents in the speech that this Tsunami of people would sweep away their hazy and corrupt style of politics. Hope is a good thing and I hope that Imran Khan is successful in shattering the outdated framework of politics to any extent as it will be a positive step forward for Pakistan.
Sources: Dawn, Daily Times, The Nation
