Imran’s ‘tsunami’ a costly affair?

By
Hussain
-
53
495

The ‘massive’ Pakistan Tehreek-e Insaf (PTI) gathering at the Bagh-e-Quaid on Sunday was no cheap affair by any means and it cost the Imran Khan-led party an astounding amount of more than Rs 30 million to pull in the crowds, Pakistan Today has learnt.
“Over Rs 30 million were spent on the public meeting, including the campaign through short message service, telephone calls, hoardings, banners, stickers and flags, decorations and other arrangements at the venue, as well as the free-of-charge transport from every part of the city for the participants,” well-placed sources told Pakistan Today.
They said that the PTI chairman, during his two-day stay before the public meeting, had collected at least Rs 30.1 million in donations. “An industrialist, Faisal Vawda, had donated Rs 10 million.”
A party insider told Pakistan Today that only decorations and the sound system (brought from Lahore) for the public meeting cost Rs 3.1 million.
Despite the lavish spending on arrangements, there was no drinking water available for the people at the venue. The ground eventually became so crowded that it became difficult for the people to even breathe properly and announcements had to be made for the public to back away from the stage and make space for each other. Two volunteers busy in controlling the participants also fell unconscious.
Amidst the tunes of Urdu, Pashto, Sindh and Punjabi songs, the public, especially youngsters, seemed very enthusiastic in attending the public meeting and almost every participant was holding the PTI flag.
For the first time, slogans calling for prime minister’s slot for Khan were raised at the Karachi gathering.
Similar to the Lahore jalsa, most of the youngsters and families coming to the PTI meeting had come out from their homes for the first time to attend any political gathering.
The point to be noted was that the majority of people belonged to the Hazara, Pakhtun and Punjabi ethnicities and participants of Sindhi, Baloch and Urdu-speaking community were only a handful.
The gathering was officially kicked off by renowned singer Abrarul Haq’s recitation of a naat, while the first speech was delivered by Samuel Sharaf, as a goodwill gesture towards the Christian community on the occasion of Christmas.
Political observers attached its importance to the PTI’s efforts of conveying itself as a liberal organisation internationally.
At 4:38 pm, Khan came to the stage and without any gesture to his supporters, went on to sit on his chair, unlike political leaders who usually wave hands to the crowds. After some time and probably someone’s advice, the PTI chairman stood up and waved to the public for a while.
The speech from the PTI chairman, for whom thousands of people had gathered, was particularly disappointing, as he could not make any disclosure or any unusual announcement. The speech of veteran politician Javed Hashmi, who joined the PTI recently, was however more encouraging for the public.
PTI Chairman Khan had claimed that the public meeting in Karachi will be larger than the one held in Lahore on October 30, and the party was indeed able to attract a large number of people at its ‘historical’ public meeting in the sense of participation only, as no major personality joined the party.
The gathering may have been larger than Lahore, but Khan failed to fulfil his promise about an important disclosure on the day of the public meeting – the announcement of some significant people from Sindh joining the PTI.
Despite late night overtures of PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi, not a single influential personality agreed to join the party. Even a follower of Qureshi, Altaf Hussain Unnar, a former Sindh minister, refused to announce his joining the PTI.
Many journalists were observed recalling the days when only some months ago, it was impossible for PTI to gather 5,000 people in the city, Khan was not even allowed to enter Karachi, and whenever he came to the city, then PTI Sindh President Zubair Khan could only gather a maximum of 100 party workers to welcome him at the airport.

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53 COMMENTS

      • No this hasn't proved anything. First of all, how many of the present rallies have been evaluated monetarily?? Yea, none. So you don't have anything to compare the costs with. Secondly, if any other party was expecting such big masses, i'm sure they'd spend the same. And lastly, it's the donations that keep PTI going.. they're not corrupt like pml n and ppp to use government money for their jalsaas, nor like mqm who collects bhuta from the innocent poor of Karachi. Open ur eyes, widen ur mental horizon.

  3. huh! u need to see jalsa clips again!!… he came on the stage and gave a huge wave and a bright smile!!

  4. LOL Imran went to his seat without waving to his supporters, what a stupid thing to say.

    First of all he did wave at the people as he walked in and millions of people saw it live on T.V. and secondly it's a non issue

  7. establishment made party,aah! innocent people. there is a hidden message by Mr Asif in the end of story.:-D

  10. one of things we cultivated in bulk in pakistan is not accolade for anyone for anything and always look for reason to criticize ..this kind of gathering is covet for all career politicains in pakistan ..and khan did it again..now cry over it for two months and try to over shadow it through every excuse that comes in opponents mind.it is done and now no one can change it …cry Nawaz league cry .. and can some one explain me what is establishement??????? alots of people does not even know what is that still they say establishment ki party hai …

  12. first of all no other party has ever gathered such big masses.. especially in terror-struck days of karachi… secondly if any other party WAS expecting such a big number.. i'm sure they'd spend even more…
    And by the way, i saw him wave to the crown.. both fists in air(His unique style) before he sat down. What a jerk the writer is.

  13. What a rotten piece of journalism. The writer’s “own observations”, which really amount to absolutely zero as far as the common reader is concerned, outweigh facts. I would be very interested to know what led the writer to conclude what ethnicity the majority belonged to and what exactly does a “handful” entail. Also, the speech by IK that Mr. Self Indulgent terms disappointing was evidently not so disappointing for the 500k people present there who grasped on to and cheered every word he said. It is unfortunately this typical sensationalist mindset of journalists that needs a major overhaul; the writer obviously sees no point in the entire congregation since ” no major political figure joined”. Add to that the preposterous lack of knowledge and research (please check who the PTI president of Sindh really is), and we have here a complete atrocity in the name of journalism.

  15. PTI is here to stay. Unlike the looters from PPP and PML it is the public in Pakistan and abroad that are providing the funds.

    PS
    How much did the looters pay you to write this rubbish?

  16. good ,
    estabilshment wants to sell old wine in a new bottle .they try to enrop the opressed nations for further few decads koshish karean may kahro harj aa

  18. Well when all the leaders came from outside Karachi and no announcement made for Karachi Why would Karachi listen and vote to him?

  19. These are some fact & figures which has to be told good work Qazi Asif, i just need to rectify that the amount is much higher than 30 Million.

    Thanks

    Suhail Khan

  20. As a supporter of PTI and a member from its inception I see little that is objectionable in this reasonably balanced article and I am surprised that it has aroused this much ire from my fellow party workers.

  24. He did wave as soon as he arrived. I was there …. you didnt have to misreport considering that IF the other info was correct in the article.
    Madad ALLAH dee

  27. Nice post. dont worry abt the negative comments. cuz they are all new to politics and they dont even know the ABC of politics. But the ppl who are familiar and who already have heard alot wat IK says. Plus we know how the establishment creates the KINGS party. Few months back IK was nothing sunddenly he's having big public gatherings. I pity on the ppl who thinks he is a genuine person

    • And I pity on a loser like you. People like you and madri's PPP have brought this contry to brink of disaster and still no shame. Bahiartoon doob maru chullo bher panhi mein!

    • And I pity on a loser like you. People like you and madri's PPP have brought this contry to brink of disaster and still no shame. Bahiartoon doob maru chullo bher panhi mein!

    • And I pity on a loser like you. People like you and madri's PPP have brought this contry to brink of disaster and still no shame. Bahiartoon doob maru chullo bher panhi mein

    • And I pity on a loser like you. People like you and madri's PPP have brought this contry to brink of disaster and still no shame. Baghiartoon doob maru chullo bher panhi mein!

  28. I never believed in the slogan 'yahoodi lobby' but man the amount of money imran khan is spending on his jalsas is way beyond 3 million. U cant befool us by saying this was done on 'donations'…. khan is on a dubious agenda. MAY ALLAH SAVE US FROM THIS MAN. AMEEN

  29. well i guess writer works for government or may be he works for faisal raza abidi hahaha.. pointless criticism!!!

  30. These funds are sourced from party members' subscriptions and donations. If these funds are being applied to bring the people of Pakistan together then this cause is justified by the cohesion this brings. Right now our people need this to bring up their morale and sense of oneness. If all of Pakistan is united only then can Pakistan can prosper. Please do not present this expenditure as such, we all know the reason behind these gatherings and may Allah make Imran Khan the next true leader of Pakistan. Ameen.

  32. Jalsa was a dissapointment…total number of chairs as per dig police report , which came on media 20270..pti people claimed 60,000 chairs..ANOTHER LIE EXPOSED….further on if ground was completely full it could hold a maximum number of 120,000 people…tv chanels claimed 200,000 people…but reporters and journalist present there gave an honest report of 60,000 people maximum…false hype being created, by a few biased tv chanels…..further on just twa days before swati sb claimed that sardar asif was corrupt and they welcome him with open arms…secondly imran khan never said a word against mqm , against whom he was going to court against !! pti and imran khan is an eye wash for the masses and i feel people will be facing alot of dissapointment in the days to come , when Imran Khan will be exposed , by the same people who have created him…Pti supporters I know none of you will agree to whatever I have said …but only time will tell !!

  33. As the PPP, PMLN and other political parties were never organized and systemized by the party owners according to the political ethics, manners and as per party manifesto. Therefore most of political parties work like private limited companies and have their sole agents,distributers and salesman’s, because of that, most of the political parties and politicians have their own paid workers or working partners.

    They behave with the general political workers like customers and they treat the general public like slaves, therefore public is disappointed, dissatisfied and disillusioned from old politicians and political parties but political parties are still dependant on feudal lords or establishment for governments or politics.Thats why now PTI is the new hope for political mind educated and dedicated political workers and general public.

    Beside the feudal mentality of old politicians and political parties, another factor which facilitated the PTI jalsa in Lahore and Karachi is feeling of community injustice.

    In Lahore due to special attention towards Kashmiris by PMLN and Jats by PMLQ, Arains were feeling ignorant; they sponsored and facilitated the PTI in Lahore jalsa.

    In Karachi Non-Mahajirs were feeling and facing the supremacy and unfairness of Mahajirs since 26 years because of MQM domination but PPP and PMLN were not able to realize or redress the problem which benefited the PTI to cash the emotions of Non-Mahajirs and assembled them in jalsa of Karachi in huge quantity.

    If PTI be able to organize and systemize the emotions of participants of Lahore and Karachi jalsas then no doubt PTI will be the leading political party of number 1 and number 2 biggest cities of Pakistan i.e. Karachi and Lahore.

  34. @Usman Shah

    And I pity on a loser like you. People like you and madri's PPP have brought this contry to brink of disaster and still no shame. Bahiartoon doob maru chullo bher panhi mein!

  35. Dear Editor at Pakistan Today,

    Do you people have a mechanism within your organization to layoff a writer who is found to engage in inaccurate and biased reporting?

  38. I am the one who went there with my family and witness the Jalsa. I observed personally that everyone was come by itself no one force them to come and they just want to count that “NOW WE ARE FEDUP" Mr. Qazi you are focusing the cost but you didn't realize CAUSE.

  39. Khuda ki laan'at ho in Choroon or dakoon (PPP & PML-N) pur who has brought my beloved Pakistan on the brink of desaster in the name of dEmoCraCy. The day we get rid of this gang of Criminals will be a day of Najaa't. Not even a single eye will shed a tear when these dakoos are kicked out. Every one will fall down in Sajda-e-Shukkar when this nighmare will end. Oh my God have mercy on this poor nation. Let's get Imran khan elected. Inshall he will perform the way a PM should perform. 100% confident.

  40. He is our only hope to save pakistan, he brought the best out of his players in world cup 1992 and the times he was captain.

    We are overseas pakistanis, so just so we could have a pakistan to be proud of we will be travelling to pakistan and visisting provinces, cities and villages to gather support for imran khan.

    And all you leaders, politicians and public lets all start thinking of pakistan for once, wont you like that we have a wealthy, prosper and a unified country to be proud of

  41. The legs of Asif zardari & Nawaz Sharif along with their supporters are trambling after the rise of Imran Khan. Specially after the show of force in Karachi by a half million strong amazingly charged crowd. I have never seen such a charged political crowd in my life time. Change is inevitable whether Zardari and Nawaz like it or not. Better packup and run.

  43. A biased article that does not do justice to journalism. At least one party managed to gather all sections of the society under one platform for a good reason.

  44. People like Faisal Vawda who’s not Industrialst he’s pure fraudy person who have done such big frauds with banks. So many criminal cases are against him in distt session court of sindh. So yes these people can donate such amounts to get political shelter.

  45. We thought Imran Khan will do some thing new but sorry to say he’s also after power and bring corrupt people from different parties in his party so what he will do for us. And BTW person Faisal Vawda have join PTI my God this person FVG is really Big Fraud every second day we see Court Notes in Newz papers Financial Recovery cases in High Court of Sindh. Imran Khan should kick out these type of people frm PTI. People are rite Faisal Vawda is fraudy….

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