It comes as a surprise that Imran Khan’s PTI has suddenly become a political force in Pakistan. Some people might just call it establishment’s game, but it doesn’t look as simple. The fame of party among the youth of Pakistan is remarkable. Youth has a big role in giving Imran Khan the weight he has come to posses right now. A marketing strategy suggests that profits can be increased multifolds if you take your business to uncontested markets instead of head-to-head competition with already contending firms within the market. Imran Khan has been at least successful in taking his “product” to the uncontested youth of Pakistan which has been politically ever indifferent.
Is he really able to deliver? Has he got something besides his charisma? Or is the Pakistan youth in a state of denial explained by Freud? The media has to play a big role in this. The corruption and incompetence of the government has been made known to public by long hours of TV talk shows. Youth is more aware of politics now, and they want to participate.
However, they don’t see many options because all the big guns are either crooked or inept. In the midst of this bedlam, the only option they saw was charismatic Imran Khan, the man who won World Cup and made a free cancer hospital. Most people didn’t know anybody besides Imran Khan from PTI even after 15 years. Nevertheless, he is promising the much-awaited change in Pakistan, a political setup and government that will be corruption-free, and might end insecurity. It doesn’t matter if it is Imran Khan fulfilling it or not, but let’s hope that this dream that has inspired the youth throughout the country comes true.
ASSAD ULLAH KHAN
Lahore