Largely regarded until now as a political lightweight with street support that scarcely translates into votes come general elections, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan spectacularly burst onto the national political stage in a massive show of force at his rally in Lahore on Sunday as thousands upon thousands of supporters gathered at the historic Minar-e-Pakistan to answer his call: ‘remove the government, save Pakistan’.
Turning the tables on his political rivals, especially the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and making good on his promise that he would fill the sprawling Minar-e-Pakistan grounds, Imran left little doubt about who rules Lahore. The cricketer-turned-politician told the crowd – which reportedly comprised well over 100,000 of his supporters, most of them youngsters – that a revolution was around the corner and the government could not stop it. Basking in the adoration of the crowd, he said he had one complaint to make of the people of Lahore: they took a long time to wake up. “But now that Lahore has risen, we are unstoppable!” said an impassioned Imran.
DECLARE ASSETS: Imran gave the ruling elitist politicians a “few months” to declare their assets, failing which he said he would force them to do so by starting a massive civil disobedience movement. He warned the “oppressive and reactionary” existing political setup that a tsunami, and not a mere flood, of change was on its way that would sweep away their distorted and corrupt style of politics. Imran had claimed in the days leading up to the rally that he would show everyone at the Minar-e-Pakistan who ruled Lahore, Punjab and the rest of the country. There were no two ways of seeing the result of that claim on Sunday: the PTI trumped the PML-N – which has long held more sway and support in the capital of Punjab than any other political party – and it did so with a thumping majority.
Imran told the participants of the rally that it took his party 15 years of hard work to reach this position where it could bring change to Pakistan. He promised to end corruption and to bring back the $100 billion of the country’s money stolen by corrupt politicians and hidden away in foreign banks. He thanked youngsters, rickshaw drivers, police personnel and government servants that he said had “sneaked into the rally” in their civvies. The PTI chief said parliament was full of land-grabbers powered by patwaris who gathered black money for them. Imran laid particular stress on his party’s aim to rid the country of patwari culture and said Pakistan was the only country left in the world that still employed them.
He also warned that he would go to the Supreme Court as well as the Election Commission of Pakistan if the politicians in the government and opposition failed to declare their assets as required by law. He said the PTI would set up a cell to investigate the assets of politicians who failed to declare them.
MANIFESTO: Imran announced his party’s manifesto in detail, which he said was aimed at making Pakistan a peaceful and independent country where investment would be attracted from across the world. “We will make Pakistan a place where people come from other countries to seek jobs,” he said. Talking of change, he said: “Today we are beginning a new Pakistan from Minar-e-Pakistan, the place from where Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah began his movement.”
Describing his party’s policy towards the United States, Imran said: “We will be friends with you (US), but we will not be your slaves. We will help you withdraw from Afghanistan, but won’t launch any military operation (for you).” He questioned that if the US, being a superpower, could not win the war through military means, how could Pakistan? Imran expressed more of a leaning towards China, saying his party would seek to strengthen its ties with Pakistan’s all-weather friend. He said he was leaving for China on the Chinese government’s invitation tonight.
He said Pakistan was not a poor country but one rich in natural resources. He said Pakistan had 180 billion tonnes of coal reserves, “which means we can export electricity to the world”. Imran said a Pakistan he was heading would never need to beg before anyone. “Pakistan will never beg again; Imran Khan will die but won’t beg,” he vowed amid vociferous cheers of the charged crowd. Coming down hard on President Asif Ali Zardari, Imran questioned how Zardari could provide food, clothes and shelter when under his rule 16,000 people had committed suicide.
He also claimed that Zardari wrote a letter to the US requesting it to please save him from the army because he was not able to serve the US well with army interference. Lambasting PML-N President Nawaz Sharif, he said: “How can you fight an alligator like Zardari when you can’t even take on the [dengue] mosquitoes?” He said Nawaz could have done better than coming up with a show of patwaris at the PML-N rally in Lahore. The PTI chief said Pakistan was suffering losses of Rs 3 trillion every year because of rampant corruption. He said his party also aimed to bring about police reforms in the country to improve the working of the institution.
“We will depoliticise the police and then get the SHO elected the way it is done in America,” he added. He said the condition of villages would be improved and pledged to bring an end to the military operation and targeted killings in Balochistan, which he said was a province rich in natural resources but treated cruelly in the past. “We will make the Balochs our brothers,” he added. “Change is not coming, change is already here!” were the words Imran Khan chose to end his speech with, to wild applause from the crowd that had swelled exponentially since it started gathering at around 11am.
Whether the rally and the unprecedented support will have a direct impact in terms of elections remains to be seen, but one thing that was made clear at Minar-e-Pakistan on Sunday evening was that the PTI has emerged as a viable alternative to the PPP and PML-N. Whether it will be able to capitalise on that or not is anybody’s guess.
pti showed that they are strong in lahore…
Without vote, such rallies are meaningless. Imran will be disappointed when he reads the election results. He is a man who is good in words but without plans. He does not have a team. He speaks more and does little on practical front. I wish he develops a team and then works on a sound programme to deliver. I am concerned that he will bitterly fail because he is immature, emotional and without any serious plan.
who says he doesn't have a plan. Your statement only means your own lack of knowledge. Please use youtube interview videos to see the plans he has disclosed. We have seen several mature leaders, maybe it is time for some one immature who thinks out of the box.
Apart from lack of dictatorial plans you must be struggling to point out, he says nothing against peoples party, why is that?
He called Zardai an ALIGATOR, and threatened both Raiwind and Islamabad with a tsunami. You clearly didn't listened to the speech if you don't already know that!
Safdar sahib rallies first and than vote, Inshallah Imran khan will sweap your Zardari and Nawaz in the Election Ground.
respected safdar karim sahab !
he brought cricket word cup he made shokat khanum hospital, he made numal university, he made a political party named TEHREEK E INSAF 16 years ago, when no one have vision of justice in pakistan.
rest assure he is mature enough for this country's politics and have plans sit at home and see tjhe upcoming revolution brother.
waqar khan
president,
pakistan tehreek e insaf youth wing lahore.
I am not in favour of revolutions. Only sustained democracy can deliver like in India. Iran is a failed state even with the revolution. Pakistan will have a better country if martial laws would not have destroyed it. God bless Paksitan.
@Safdar–Imran Khan came was very critical of Asif Zardari, whom he blamed for destroying the PPP, and massive corruption which has destroyed Pakistan. He criticised Nawaz Sharif for letting AZ plunder this country and in the process benefitting himself. When Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto held his first meeting in Lahore at the residence of Dr Mubashir, I was present as a young student. ZAB did have a team, but they were not well known amongst the elitist power circles, but he captured the minds of youth of Pakistan. On 30 Nov, Imran Khan has shown that he has the youth of this country supporting him, because they all want a change. Of course those who have benefitted would like to maintain status quo, but than time is no longer with them. A team is necessary no doubt, but so is the credibility of the man who leads them. Those who lead the PPP, PML(Q), MQM, ANP etc have no credibility amongst the masses any more and are in for a shock. Change is in the air and nobody can stop it now.
How is Imran any different from other politicians? It's just some popular rhetoric! Otherwise is he suggesting any basic change in structure or policy of country's governance?
Either you are too naive or you just don't want to accept change! That is all I have to say…..Although a public rally is hardly a place to go into details of the action plan but he did enough to underline that he will bring structural reform in basic governance. Computerization of land records to get rid of patwari, election of local police (sherrif concept) to end thana culture, right of women and minorities were all mentioned. Don't know what else would satisfy those who just do not want to be convinced
Imran Khan was more crtitical of Asif Zardari than of Nawaz Sharif, yet you seem to have not heard him, nor could you see the over 3 Lakh to 5 Lakh people who turned up to listen to him.
there is no second opinion on that ! it was a “clean sweep”
in swing yorker to PPP and PML-N..!!
clean bold
clean bolded all others
He won over a huge population’s hearts
Why did he not anything to say against the current government/peoples party?
Is he planning to become PM Pakistan under Zardari???
Could anyone else also look and think in this direction????
i guess its only one way to find out ? or keep getting beating by selecting sharif family, zardari ppp, mqm etc.
lol i guess u dont hear well. i suggest u listen to his speach once again along with all his old speachs.
go to youtube.com
search for Imran Khan jalsa speech 30th october
watch the ARY coverage..its divided into 4 parts
BUT oh!! plz make sure u get your ears cleaned before doing this..because he said A LOT about zardari and ppp and every single word was Right !
he has united a sunami in lahore minar-e-Pakistan
any doubts?
why he has nothing to say against the peoples party? the current government? why is he saying all the things against the muslim league?
The question is answer itself. He is an iron man and his determination is remarkable. Allah bless him. He made supporters like me proud in front of mindless supporters of status quo parties.
Mr. Muhammad Imran.. I suppose you were not there at the Rally.. You Don’t know how much he spoke against Zardari and the Present Government… Speculation without knowledge…
Yes i was not and would be glad if you can point out if the media was successful to record those words he spoke against zardari, as i could not find any in the news reports.
Please Listen to the You Tube Video of his Speech.. If you can't find it then please tell me… I'll send you the link…
Imran Khan lashed out against corruption and Zardari, but your report seems to have filtered all this. Why?.
Really? Did he say something against zardari? There is NOTHING on media about this.. that is why i am posting comments on comments and nobody is bothering to tell me. Can you please tell me more about this?
Imran's successful public meeting is more because of the hate for this PPP led coalition, their corruption and playing politics with blood of innocent Pakistanis. When a reporter becomes a spinmaster, than he is no longer an independent observer. That seems to have been the case in this case, where you did not hear all that was said about Zardari.
Yes Cleanbolt of PPP and PML………. change came and Inshallah very soon Imram be the PM of our country.
Big jalsas and jaloos are of no use unless these are translated into election victory through ballot. The party which takes out the voters out of home on election day, is the real winner. To make jalsas big and impressive, all the parties put all their resources to gather the public from all the corners. It is a big game of money. Good spending and good results. Good luck to Imran if he can do anything solid but the people bitten by old/new politicians are just waiting to see the real things happen.
Amjad Husain, Riyadh-Saudi Arabia
in fact he was more critical of Zardari than Nawaz, quite different from the normal practice……I think somebody gave him the correct advice
Bravo Imran, and Congratulations to uncaged Insaf Tigers 🙂
Imran has always & openning spoken about other polital parties including PML-N, PPP & MQM as how these aligators and wild hoggs are eating everything on their way and makeing poor peopel of Pakistan suffer for it. He has nothing to hide and he can be only person who can success in bringing the change in pakistan. Because he has no dirty secrets like others… We all support you IMRAN KHAN.. May Allah help you bringing this change in our PAKISTAN. Ameen
Imran Khan.. Zindabaaad.. Pakistan Zindabaad.
one of guy was saying PTI does not have a team may be he didnt searched about the whole team of imran khan which is well educated and well qualified unlike other political parties even i can bet PTI got the best combination
yaar dekho, siyasat ka asool hai pehle dill jeetna, ye jitne bhi bhai oooper comments me tanqeed kr rahe hai or sath me umeed laga rahe hain. agr imran immature hai to ye log tanqeedi tabsra krne wale tarum maar khan hai kya, aap bhi to immature ho . zamanae ki badalti hui angrai ko mehsoos na krne wala bezameeri me mubtala hai dost. agr zamana moqa de rha hai us pe tanqeed krne ki njaaye hath milao nahin to apne purane zamanae k emutabiq jiyo or jine do. Yeh Naqae khalqe khuda hai. Imran ko support kro sab, agr nahin krna to baba phir aaj 2011 hai 2021 bhi aa jayega or 2050 bhi damaĝ theek kr lo nahin to hm krne wale hain damagh theek jald hi ………we rock with Imran Khan 🙂
Go Imran and get these corrupt politicians. People of Pakistan are with you.
yes. impressive show of power.
luv u imran khan i am with u.
over 400 kanal area Crowd, no metal detectors, or Security Gates And no Bullet Proof Stage for Imran Khan, hundred Of Thousends of Poeples, brothers And Sisters Please be Positive And compair Him with Crount Lot Of Politicions please please be realistic, Allah Bless Us All.
Presently, Pakistan is like a ship that is loaded with gold and jewels but deceitfully hijacked by a group of pirates. Hope has died, direction has sublimed and it is pitch black all around. It is now heartening for all aboard to recognize Imran approaching with a torch in hand to light up the way and lead us all out of darkness and misery. May Allah keep him strong in resolve and purpose and continue to guide him onto the right path. Ameen!
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