Game on, Imran tells Nawaz

By
anjum
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29
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Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf Chairman Imran Khan called out Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif at a mammoth public gathering at Quaid-i-Azam’s mausoleum here on Sunday, challenging the two-time former prime minister to play the “10-over match” with him before he ran out of players for his team.
The PTI set a record in Karachi by holding the largest ever rally in Pakistan’s economic hub, a massive gathering that was beyond the expectations of political analysts and observers, who were claiming it would be a lukewarm affair. Imran welcomed former PML-N senior vice president Makhdoom Javed Hashmi into the PTI and hailed his bravery. He also hinted at the “fall of another political wicket” in the days to come.
“I had decided that I would not point fingers at any political party, but after the PML-N chief challenge me to a 10-over match, I have changed my decision and I welcome Nawaz Sharif’s challenge. But I will suggest to you (Nawaz) to please be quick so you don’t run out of players for your team,” said Imran. “I also wanted to play a match with President (Asif Ali) Zardari, but he was retired hurt,” he added. Imran promised the people on Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s birth anniversary that he would turn the great leader’s dream of an Islamic welfare state into reality. “I promise you that I will do what Jinnah desired,” he told thousands of people gathered at Bagh-e-Jinnah here. He promised the nation that he would make Pakistan a just society and would enforce justice if he succeeded in his cause. “Quaid-i-Azam never bowed before anyone and he never wanted you to bow before anyone,” Khan said, adding that on the great leader’s birthday and in front of his mausoleum, “I will ensure that you don’t have to bow before anyone”.
He said he would introduce a strong justice system in Pakistan under which free justice would be provided to everyone. “Even animals have access to better justice in Europe than human beings in Pakistan,” he said. The PTI chief said he would bring together a team that would be selected on merit to transform Pakistan into a welfare state. “My team will play under Jehangir Tareen to present economic policies, labour policies, tax reforms, education policies as well as foreign policies before the nation, and there will be a policy paper on all issues,” he said. “If the PTI comes to power, it will organise two seminars every month and consult the public for its policies,” he added. “During PTI’s rule, a civil system will be introduced which will ensure that even Imran Khan’s car is stopped for over-speeding,” he said. Talking about agricultural reforms, he said free seeds would be provided to farmers while fertiliser would be supplied at cheap rates to maximise produce.
“A Chinese company wanted to bring $19 billion investment to Pakistan but it could not because of fear and ongoing corruption in the country,” he said, adding that this was only one example and there were a number of global private firms who wanted to invest in Pakistan but were afraid of political instability and corruption in the country.

“They need surety that their investment would be safe,” he said, adding that major corruption would be eliminated within 90 days of the PTI coming into power. “Pakistan is suffering a loss of Rs 3 billion every day because of corruption and there is a dire need for reforms in the tax collection system,” he added. “You don’t need rocket science [to solve this problem], just bring a team of honest leaders that carries out self-accountability,” said the PTI chief. Responding to chants of “Go Zardari Go” from the participants, he said Zardari’s days in the Presidency were numbered. Imran also apologised to the people of Balochistan and promised to address their grievances through development. He also announced that the PTI would hold its next public gathering in Quetta and said the “tsunami” that started from Lahore would now reach Quetta on March 23. He also wished a “merry Christmas” to the Christian community and thanked people for participating in such huge numbers. He especially thanked a man named Zulfiqar Ali, who he said had sold his mobile phone to come to Karachi all the way from Dera Ghazi Khan to attend the rally. He congratulated citizens of Karachi for “beating” the “tsunami of Lahore”. “I put together a team and won the World Cup … the same team went ahead and established Shaukat Khanum … now I want you all to come with me to make a new Pakistan,” he said. Addressing the gathering, Makhdoom Javed Hashmi announced a ‘rebellion’ against the cruel and corrupt people. “I am a rebel and this rebel has joined the PTI for enforcement of justice and to root out corruption from society,” he said. He criticised the Punjab government for disparity within the province. “Youth is the future of Pakistan and I never saw such a large number of youth at a political gathering,” he said, adding that he would mobilise this youth to change Pakistan. Speaking to the participants about the national nuclear programme, former foreign minister and PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi said the programme was under no physical threat and the entire world should know it is impossible to attack the nuclear programme, but it was under threat from this civilian government. He said he was the first person who raised concerns over the US-India nuclear deal. “President Zardari called me and said that there is nothing wrong in the US-India deal, but I protested,” he said. Bagh-e-Jinnah, which has a capacity of around 200,000 people, was full to bursting with PTI supporters and the roads adjacent to the garden and the mausoleum were also teeming with people. The crowd was estimated to have comfortably exceeded the number of people who attended the PTI rally at Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore on October 30.

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29 COMMENTS

  1. IQBAL'S POEM VERSE IS " DASHT TOW DASHT, DARYIA BHI NAY CHORAY HUM NAY, BAHRAY-I-ZULMAAT MAIN DUOARRA DIYAY GHORRAY, HUM NAY ". PTI HAS PROVED AFTER HOLDING THIS SUCCESSFUL PUBLIC MEETING IN KARACHI, THAT THE PEOPLE OF PAKISTAN ARE READY FOR A CHANGE AND THOUGH PPP AND PML(N) WILL BE ABLE TO WIN SOME SEATS IN THEIR AREAS, IT APPEARS THAT PTI WILL BE VICTORIOUS WITH A LANDSLIDE WIN.

  2. PTI's SUNAMI is to get BETTER, BIGGER and BRUTAL. Fasten your seat belts everyone, you are in for a historic and a thrilling ride here!!

  3. Imran Khan bring a real change in Pakistan. We are sick of religious dictatorship imposed on us by Wahabi Talibans funded from Saudi Arabia People of Pakistan need following as we have in every successful country. That is:

    COMPLETE SEPARATION OF MOSQUE & POLITICS. That is the way of salvation of Pakistan. Constitution need to be changed to make Pakistan a true SECULAR DEMOCRACY with freedom of religion for everyone. That was the vision of Jinnah. All developed countries have separation of church and the state. That is the key to success and peace.

  7. Imran was in karachi yet he did not say a single word against MQM, neither any speaker give any example of MQM. it is reality MQM provides a beating wicket to Imran. who pressurized MQM for this? imran never talk about his cases against MQM. how the real power brokers , nationally or internationally, compelled MQM to kept silence before this rally is an interesting study yet MQM & PTI supporters in media will also tries to avoid it. it is a story of wring master and his animals.

  10. PTI is no more a ‘third’ option. It’s the Only option. Unline rest of recent uprisings, Pakistanis are really lucky and blessed to have leaders like Imran Khan and Javed Hashmi to stand behind and uprise against the corrupt status-quo. That’s what makes Pakistan a great nation, by the grace of the Almighty.

  11. Just one more thing; anyone with even a little sence of politics should realize easily that with such a show of PTI’s massive power, it was irrelevant to ‘say’ anything against aggressers like ANP and MQM. It is an established fact after the Jalsa, that MQM and ANP are on their way to lose the control of the city of lights in days to come. Let’s not suggest that a non-stop train would make a stop at every other small station. 🙂

  18. Imran khan has surely got someone at his back supporting him but besides all this youth is on Imran's side! Imran ain't any politician ,infact he is a leader in a true sense who has got the balls and guts to lead the nation! but the point is do we really desrve a leader honest n truthful like him??

  19. i AGREE WITH EVERY THING BUT NOT ONE WHY HE ADDOPTED kHURSHEED kASURI WHO WAS WITH MUSHARAF REGARDING DRONE ATTACKS AGREMENT WITH US IF IMRAN CAN DROP HIM HE WILL NEVER FACE QUESTIONS PLZ PLZ PLZ MUSHARAF FALL WAS DUE TO WRONG ADVISORS BUT I WONT THIS WITH IMRAN …………………………

  22. Imran Khan is learning hypocrisy quite rapidly. This may be the downfall of his popularity. He chose to remain silent about thuggish MQM. Was there a tacit understanding between him and Altaf Hussain? If that is the case then IK is betraying his own image of a man who does not compromise with terrorists who have killed and maimed thousands in Karachi. It appears Imran Khan had reneged on his promise which he solemnly made to the people that he would not rest untill terrorist Altaf Hussain has been put behind the bars.

  23. Imran some of your players are injured like Hashmi and others tampered balls in the previous matches.So your team is unfit will not serve the pupose of the massess.

  24. Dear Imran, Congratulations on your wonderful performances. To be a successful nation we have to satisfy the 4 Fs
    1) Freedom of speech. You have it. The ordinary people don,t have it. IF one steps out of
    hypothetical lines and becomes too nosy one is likely to be ending up decapitated or shot at point blank range or one,s body can be found rotting in a ditch. Need examples?
    2) Freedom of Religion. You mentioned Quaid.He said "You are free to go to your mosques, temples. churches or any other place of worship-the state has no business in these as long as you are loyal citizens of pakistan" My quote may be wrong because of my age but do we have it No (need examples!)
    3) Freedom from want. The moment one arrives in pakistan one is struck by it. 1 took once my 6 years old daughter to Pakistan and we had just come out of Lords resturant and we were surrounded by hungry children-my daughter dashed back into the rseturant to get food -failing this she took all the money from my wallet and gave away and started weeping to te amusement of our host. After many years she still remembers the incident and becomes sad and sends money to pakistan-.
    4)Freedom from fear.The stories your hear frightens you! i wanted to take a walk down the memory lane in lahore .My sister put her foot down and would not allow it. I protesrted and said bajji it was not like this in Ayubs days.she did not yield.Fear some times becomes selvperpuating.
    Dear imran you have embarked on a noble mission i wish you all the sucess in your journey.If you cannot satisfy all the F,s atleast you would have made an effort. May allah guide you in your noble mission

  25. best wishes for imran khan on his journey to make Pakistan a welfare state. After coming into power, he should in the first instance give relief to the people living below poverty line, including banning beggary and providing shelter to the beggars, providing boarding, lodging facility and engaging them into various gainful occupations/ crafts. good governance is another step need priority by resquing the public from the clutches of bureaucracy and red tapism. j Speedy justice for all with no cost to the poor. should be another priority.

  28. Well, firstly after personally looking at the uniting of the ppl of Karachi – across the spectrum of ethnicity, etc. – and longing for a peaceful revolution, by these hundreds of thousands of human beings, against the disastrous status quo 'forces', through Imran/PTI, it was simply amazing! An uplifting experience indeed 🙂 Change is at our doorstep! Must express my disgust though, at the outpouring of ludicrousness and childish crap, attacking this tsunami of change – by the pro status quo supporters, etc. – given the pathetically messed up state of our country!

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