Imran shows strength, announces civil disobedience movement

By
Faizan Zakaria Polani
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36
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A crowd of thousands gathered on Sunday for a rally at Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore called by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf Chairman Imran Khan to press the Pakistan People’s Party-led coalition government and also President Asif Ali Zardari to step down.
Dancing to a drumbeat and waving the party’s red and green flags, supporters of the Tehreek-e-Insaaf filled the sprawling Minar-e-Pakistan ground which was ringed with tight security. “Who will save Pakistan? Imran Khan, Imran Khan,” the crowd chanted. About 150k people had gathered as the meeting began at 4pm with more on the way, according to witnesses, as the crowd waited for a scheduled appearance by their hero.
Imran Khan’s party slogan is “throw this government out and save the country,” in a campaign aimed at the ruling coalition led by Zardari and the party of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. Imran, who guided Pakistan to a World Cup win in 1992, brims with confidence that he can solve Pakistan’s myriad and devastating problems. But his party has no seats in the parliament and it is criticised for lacking grassroots support and the infrastructure needed to win an election.
The rally, seen as a show of strength, comes two days after Nawaz Sharif’s brother Shahbaz Sharif, attracted some 30,000 people at an anti-Zardari protest also in the key political battleground of Lahore. The Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) held a demonstration on Friday to demand early elections in its political heartland — it controls the Punjab provincial government despite being in opposition at national level.
The venue for Imran Khan’s public meeting was bedecked with banners and hoardings showing portraits of the former cricketer and the founder of the nation Muhammad Ali Jinnah. He was due to a peak later. Earlier, Tehreek-e-Insaf Secretary General Arif Ali said Imran Khan will make important announcements regarding the country’s politics and future course of action.
“The wind of change of has started in the country and anyone coming in its way would be eliminated,” Alvi said and added Tehreek-e-Insaaf wants the rule of people constitution and law in the country. “It is going to be historic. We have our supporters and voters coming from Lahore and its suburban areas and the expected gathering would be over 100,000 people,” Malik Zaheer Abbas Khokhar, a member of the party’s organising committee said.
Lahore, with a population of eight million, is second-biggest city and the capital of the most populous province Punjab, which commands the greatest number of seats in the national assembly or lower house of parliament. That makes it bitterly contested territory where opposition leaders are targeting President Zardari. They are looking to exploit disillusionment with the ruling PPP which swept to power in February 2008, two months former prime minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated.
The party had expressed some concerns about inadequate security arrangements and blocking of the convoys coming from other cities. “We have been reassured by the provincial police chief about the security of the gathering and smooth flow of traffic for our convoys,” Khokhar told AFP. Senior police official Ghulam Mahmood Dogar told reporters that all steps had been taken to provide “fool-proof” security at the public meeting.

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36 COMMENTS

  3. 30,000?? LOLLLS – there was well over a 100,000 there! Nice job paid media – you can't control the internet – sorry – LOLL

  4. Huge crowed present in this jalsa without any support of govt.machinary.That is a sign of change in Pakistan.

  7. 30 Oct
    “Agar zardari hakoomat ko Chand mah aur deney they tu itna Bada tamasha karney Ki kia zaroorat thee”
    ” Jin logoon Ney pindaal bharaa hey, Umeed nahein hey woh kaptaan ko vote bhi dilvaien gey, Imran lahore mien behtar istamaal ho rahey hein”
    “Nawaz Sharif ki maqbooliat sey sab khaif hein aur Karachi aur Lahore mien mushtarka mufadaat ka jalsa iss mukhalfat ka waziha saboot hey.”
    “kaum tabdeeli chahti hey nia tajurba nahein”
    “barrister Amjad Malik chair association of Pakistani lawyers uk

    • Sir jee it took 15 years for PTI to get to this stage; any lasting change takes time in coming about. We can not afford a bloody revolution; change will come with persistence.

      If people stop coming in rallies because change didn't happen that evening then change will never come. Its consistent and growing show of force that will rock the status quo.

    • Lolz get over it man nawaz and zardari's time is over!
      Imran khan zindabad.
      I m sorry but u sound so stupid Jab koi baar baar chori kartay pakra jata hai to usay dubara chance nahi diya jata bul k naey banday ko aazmaya jata hai aur aqalmandi bhi yehi hai.
      May he succeed this time. Ameen

  10. surely the crud was very big. large number of citizen were there. this is the start in lahore. now the peoples will see the result after this big gathering. the future is PTI

  12. It was an impressive show of strength. When compared with Nawaz League's show two days ago, Imran's show today was all the more impressive. Shahbaz Sharif's show of strength after misusing government machinery of the entire province was at best a corner meeting. The content of speech was bad taste at its worst. One wonders when this family will learn to be decent!!!

  15. this jalsa exceeded my expectations. damn! PTI has finally ARRIVED. Lahore is PTI's den now. Old lions to leave the pride soon ; )

    at least 300,000 people there

  19. In my opinion, he has no coherent message and no coherent ideology (both terms obviously depend on my definition of “coherent”). He is getting support in the middle class because the middle class in every developing country seems to pass through a phase of disappointment in actually existing democracy (and the “ignorant masses” who keep electing bums the middle class does not like). Witness the middle class excitement around Anna Hazare in India. And in Pakistan in particular, he gets even more support (some of it now outside the internet burger-jihadi class too…I dont mean to imply that ONLY the middle class likes him, or Anna Hazare for that matter) because the existing parties and leaders are so bad;, but even though he has genuine popularity in some sections of the population, he has insufficient grass-roots organization. I still think he cannot come to power without ISI support, and will not last long unless he is a completely pliant puppet in their hands. If he does act as their pliant puppet, he may last longer in office, but people will get tired of him rather quickly because many fundamental problems will not change one bit and some will get worse.

    IF he actually tries to make his “policies” work, then we are in ever more serious trouble since he has no workable policy prescription for many serious issues. For example, his solution to the Pakistani Taliban is “stop military operations, stop supporting the US, stop drone attacks, and our brothers will come to the table in peace and brotherhood”. Apart from the obvious problem of how he expects NATO to leave this safe haven alone, what does this tell you about his understanding of the Pakistani Jihadis and their agenda? (not talking about the burger-jihadis who dream of 72 virgins and a job in microsoft in the course of the same lonely night). What happens when they want to enforce their will in the Islamic emirate? and what happens when they want to expand the emirate to Islamabad?

    In a smoothly working western-style democracy, he might even do good work because he is relatively honest and well-intentioned and the system and its basis is already set, so his shallow understanding of history and political evolution is of no consequence. In Pakistan, where fundamental problems of identity and political direction are not yet settled, this 6th grade “Pak studies” version of history, sociology and political science is not going to get far. In short, he is a confused man, with very superficial and shallow notions about politics and religion. Many of his everyday opinions are relatively liberal, but he has no idea where those liberal notions came from and how they are (or are not) compatible with other 6th grade Islamiat and Pakistan Studies BS he also holds dear.

    ALL politicians repeat simplistic 6th grade bullshit in speeches because of practical exigencies of modern mass politics, but he repeats them because he doesnt know any better, THAT is a problem

    • Hey, can you be more specific in what's wrong with his stance and your definition of coherence?
      What is your suggestion on how PTI can do a better job? If Imran Khan is not the right leader for us would you be kind enough to step up and take charge?

  23. Thanks to Allah.

    Go Imran Go, May His help be with you and your team.

    For Paksitanis, it's now or never situation.

    Keep up good work.

  24. Nothing new. Imran's political advisor Ghulam Akbar has innumerable heroes. One of thyem is Adolf Hitler. Imran Khan is niether Adolf Hitler nor M.A Jinnah. There is no wind of change. Change comes through a bloody revolution. Imran do not use the word of Inquilab but change. His target is Zardari+Nawaz Toola not the solvation of the peopl's grieveinces….Alas ! … Tariq Khan.

  25. He proved great in the game of Cricket,no doubt,but politics in Pakistan is a dirty game,which probably he has realised well,that is why he has decided to choose the same route which has been very successfully used by few who got to the top,including the present dispensation.one can only wish him well as he is the only hope left,for the hopeless situation.what an unfortunate country. Nasier

  26. hi..i am also like khan.but people those wer in jalsa r very educated..n thay does not like blame game ..thy want seriousness..n khan should not speak about dengi cz every one knw sahbaz shreef is doing best..people of lhr knw well..overall good.. i lv pak n pti

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