Currently Pakistan is going through the most abysmal time marked with devastating terrorism and inflation as well as an economic crises, but amidst all this turmoil, Pakistanis are optimistic and seen a ray of hope in the bleak tunnel- the elections 2013. However, the most exciting thing about these elections, which has stirred up the whole political scene, is the mounting popularity of the young germinating political party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Though it has been quite some years since PTI was organized, but it is now that it is shinning on the horizons of our political field and they have won over the hearts of the masses; more specifically the educated middle class and among them the young enthusiastic lot of the society, and this time PTI has a good chance of actually achieving some seats in national and provincial assemblies. The escalating fame and fan following of PTI is attributed to its leader Imran Khan. Imran Khan has the privilege of being the captain of the Pakistan’s World Cup winning cricket team back in 1992; he has also been able to achieve the honour of establishing the only state of the art cancer hospital- Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre in Pakistan. Pakistani nation, if not anything else, is a diehard fan of cricket and an extremely empathetic nation. So it is not rocket science to comprehend why and how Imran Khan managed to gather so many devotees.
Pakistani youth see Imran Khan and his party as the ambassador of the ‘great revolutionary change’ that Pakistan direly needs. They see Imran Khan as a blunt, courageous and upright person and a man of his word. The majority of the literate middle class is vigorously supporting Imran Khan as they have categorically tested almost all the politicians and political parties (some were even given more than one chance) but have been disappointed each time. All the politicians contesting for the elections have some controversial strings attached to them, which even includes treason in some cases.
But Imran Khan is the only politician that has not been tested yet and so has no such history. His supporters argue that Imran Khan in his career as a cricketer has always been a man of his words and rules. He got the cricket trophy for Pakistan then in the most uncertain and unfavorable conditions, so he will rescue us from our predicament now as well, he built Shaukat Khanam against the odds and till date provides free cancer treatment to the unfortunate, poor and helpless natives of Pakistan, so he will care for the general public when he will be elected as a president. As he is a conscientious person with a compassionate heart, he can be expected to do something, at least better than what others have rendered. The people have their hopes so high that sometimes it feels as if Imran Khan’s aficionados have built themselves a castle in the clouds, a utopian Pakistan, where everything is just perfect with Imran Khan as its benevolent heroic leader, and they have already started dwelling in it.
SARAH FATIMA,
Lahore, April 30.