300,000 plus @ PTI Lahore Jalsa - Live Forum Coverage
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Abu Zolfiqar
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it's interesting to me -- i see ''moderates'' and ''conservatives'' amongst his follower base. Veiled and unveiled, bearded and clean shaven. That's a beautiful thing.
this made my day:
---------- Post added at 09:52 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:51 PM ----------
wah! Even Baba Pakistani was there
this made my day:
---------- Post added at 09:52 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:51 PM ----------
wah! Even Baba Pakistani was there
baqai
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So like Envicrete is going to open their factory in Raiwind because they have heard shareef's are shitting bricks since the jalsa?
Hat's off to IK for pulling off such a historic gathering right in backyard of PML (N) ... poor PML (N) got owned so badly that it's not even funny ... all the best to IK and i hope he goes around doing what he is saying and does not end up being just another politician ...
Hat's off to IK for pulling off such a historic gathering right in backyard of PML (N) ... poor PML (N) got owned so badly that it's not even funny ... all the best to IK and i hope he goes around doing what he is saying and does not end up being just another politician ...
Meengla
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1-I have never felt so excited about a leader since Benazir Bhutto's comeback to Pakistan in 1986 when she gave new hope and a challenge to Zia's dictatorship. Imran Khan--who I too once or twice thought of as the 'Taliban Khan'--is the latest and the best hope.
2-I also underestimated his influence. I always suspect the bloggers, being more educated, would support Imran. But the Lahore Jilsa is something out of the ordinary. I can see a large section of the society from different backgrounds supporting Imran Khan. And they are spontaneous.
3-But let's not lose sight of one of Pakistan's best assets: Freedom of expression and association. Short of being wrongly targeted for 'blasphemy', one can do anything in Pakistan these days. Yes, plenty of bad things, sadly, but plenty of good as well. Pakistan today has democracy. Vibrant media. Free press. Free judiciary. These are not trivial stuff. Imran Khan AND Pakistan are direct beneficiary of Pakistan's plurality, freedoms, and tolerance. I know the warts. I have still not gotten over the killing of Salman Taseer and Shahbaz Bhatti. But I have not lost sight of the hope-inducing vistas either.
4-BUT I AM NOW TRULY AFRAID FOR KHAN'S LIFE. Whether internal players or external players, those who would want Pakistan to remain divided and weak will not like Imran Khan. He must be much better protected than the other towering figure of Benazir was. I don't think Zardari gains anything by getting rid of Imran. But Nawaz Sharif does. And so do external agents.
5- My family in Karachi--which used to vote MQM exclusively. Then some PPP, some MQM, and some PTI, this time will all vote for PTI. And though I have been a PPP supporter since about mid-80s, I might do that as well.
2-I also underestimated his influence. I always suspect the bloggers, being more educated, would support Imran. But the Lahore Jilsa is something out of the ordinary. I can see a large section of the society from different backgrounds supporting Imran Khan. And they are spontaneous.
3-But let's not lose sight of one of Pakistan's best assets: Freedom of expression and association. Short of being wrongly targeted for 'blasphemy', one can do anything in Pakistan these days. Yes, plenty of bad things, sadly, but plenty of good as well. Pakistan today has democracy. Vibrant media. Free press. Free judiciary. These are not trivial stuff. Imran Khan AND Pakistan are direct beneficiary of Pakistan's plurality, freedoms, and tolerance. I know the warts. I have still not gotten over the killing of Salman Taseer and Shahbaz Bhatti. But I have not lost sight of the hope-inducing vistas either.
4-BUT I AM NOW TRULY AFRAID FOR KHAN'S LIFE. Whether internal players or external players, those who would want Pakistan to remain divided and weak will not like Imran Khan. He must be much better protected than the other towering figure of Benazir was. I don't think Zardari gains anything by getting rid of Imran. But Nawaz Sharif does. And so do external agents.
5- My family in Karachi--which used to vote MQM exclusively. Then some PPP, some MQM, and some PTI, this time will all vote for PTI. And though I have been a PPP supporter since about mid-80s, I might do that as well.
Rusty
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AZADPAKISTAN2009
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Imran Bhai deserves a chance
Windjammer
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For a decade Imran Khan has occupied the hinterland, if not quite the wilderness, of Pakistani politics. The cricket legend has won just one seat in parliament his own and been scorned by critics as a celebrity windbag at best and a Taliban sympathiser at worst.
But this weekend Khan dramatically transformed his standing at a stroke, bursting onto the national stage with an impressive show of street power that jolted Pakistan's largest parties and turned received wisdom on its head.
At least 100,000 people gathered to hear Khan issue a rousing call to political "revolution" spiced with strident denunciations of government corruption.
"Declare your assets or face the wrath of the people," he shouted, drawing roars of approval, in the largest rally for decades in Lahore, Pakistan's political heartland.
The crowd reflected the vein that Khan has tapped young, urban and mostly educated Pakistanis who have grown disillusioned by the chaotic politicking and inept governance of the traditional political elite. "It's an activation of the upper middle class people who, over the years, haven't had a voice in Pakistani politics," said political analyst Mosharraf Zaidi.
In contrast Khan enjoys a reputation for being incorruptible and straight-talking, polished by a glint of fame. Also in Lahore was his ex-wife Jemima, who remains a supporter, and Jennifer Robinson, a London media lawyer whose clients include WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. "Yes we Khan," she tweeted afterwards.
The rally set the political scene abuzz with speculation; "Imran's Lahore rally stuns opponents" read the headline in Dawn. But large questions loom about whether he can transform his acclaim into power.
Despite his claims of a "revolution" against President Asif Ali Zardari, Khan is more likely to hurt Nawaz Sharif, the opposition leader who considers Lahore his political base. Sunday's rally crowned a wave of smaller yet well-attended rallies across the surrounding Punjab province over the past three months.
"It's been slowly taking root. People are getting disillusioned, they saw Imran as more dynamic and focused," said Najam Sethi, a veteran journalist and analyst.
National elections are not scheduled until 2013, although a midterm Senate election next March which is likely to see the Pakistan People's party led by Zardari seize control of the upper house of parliament has caused the political temperature to soar.
Electoral success for Khan would likely fracture politics further a prospect that would please Pakistan's spymasters and generals, who have traditionally liked their civilian leaders both shaken and stirred. Khan has faced accusations that his new-found popularity is being quietly boosted by the military, and his Lahore speech was notable for his lack of criticism of the army. Khan denies any link. "I think Imran and the army will get along very well if he ever comes to power," said Sethi. He entered politics in 1996 as one of the most loved public figures in a cricket-crazy nation, and the founder of a cancer hospital that remains one of Pakistan's most respected charities.
But his politics have been more controversial. He supported Pervez Musharraf's coup in 1999, sided with Islamist mullahs and, in 2009, opposed an army operation against the Taliban in the Swat valley, arguing it was better to talk than fight. He boycotted the 2008 election, a move that relegated him to the chat show fringe of politics.
But in recent years he has steadily built his popularity among young Pakistanis, capitalising on disillusionment with political corruption and anger at US drone strikes in the tribal belt.
His Lahore rally echoed many of those themes. Pakistan wanted "independence, not slavery" in its relations with the US, he said, before announcing that he would be leaving for China hours later. "I am leaving at the invitation of the Chinese government. Friendship with them will be pursued to the fullest," he said.
But critics said that while his speech was high on inflammatory rhetoric including gratuitous attacks at some rivals and one diplomat it was lacking in concrete prescriptions. "His next challenge is to show that he understands Pakistan's problems and can formulate policy to deal with them" said Zaidi.
Imran Khan laps up acclaim in Pakistan | World news | The Guardian
But this weekend Khan dramatically transformed his standing at a stroke, bursting onto the national stage with an impressive show of street power that jolted Pakistan's largest parties and turned received wisdom on its head.
At least 100,000 people gathered to hear Khan issue a rousing call to political "revolution" spiced with strident denunciations of government corruption.
"Declare your assets or face the wrath of the people," he shouted, drawing roars of approval, in the largest rally for decades in Lahore, Pakistan's political heartland.
The crowd reflected the vein that Khan has tapped young, urban and mostly educated Pakistanis who have grown disillusioned by the chaotic politicking and inept governance of the traditional political elite. "It's an activation of the upper middle class people who, over the years, haven't had a voice in Pakistani politics," said political analyst Mosharraf Zaidi.
In contrast Khan enjoys a reputation for being incorruptible and straight-talking, polished by a glint of fame. Also in Lahore was his ex-wife Jemima, who remains a supporter, and Jennifer Robinson, a London media lawyer whose clients include WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. "Yes we Khan," she tweeted afterwards.
The rally set the political scene abuzz with speculation; "Imran's Lahore rally stuns opponents" read the headline in Dawn. But large questions loom about whether he can transform his acclaim into power.
Despite his claims of a "revolution" against President Asif Ali Zardari, Khan is more likely to hurt Nawaz Sharif, the opposition leader who considers Lahore his political base. Sunday's rally crowned a wave of smaller yet well-attended rallies across the surrounding Punjab province over the past three months.
"It's been slowly taking root. People are getting disillusioned, they saw Imran as more dynamic and focused," said Najam Sethi, a veteran journalist and analyst.
National elections are not scheduled until 2013, although a midterm Senate election next March which is likely to see the Pakistan People's party led by Zardari seize control of the upper house of parliament has caused the political temperature to soar.
Electoral success for Khan would likely fracture politics further a prospect that would please Pakistan's spymasters and generals, who have traditionally liked their civilian leaders both shaken and stirred. Khan has faced accusations that his new-found popularity is being quietly boosted by the military, and his Lahore speech was notable for his lack of criticism of the army. Khan denies any link. "I think Imran and the army will get along very well if he ever comes to power," said Sethi. He entered politics in 1996 as one of the most loved public figures in a cricket-crazy nation, and the founder of a cancer hospital that remains one of Pakistan's most respected charities.
But his politics have been more controversial. He supported Pervez Musharraf's coup in 1999, sided with Islamist mullahs and, in 2009, opposed an army operation against the Taliban in the Swat valley, arguing it was better to talk than fight. He boycotted the 2008 election, a move that relegated him to the chat show fringe of politics.
But in recent years he has steadily built his popularity among young Pakistanis, capitalising on disillusionment with political corruption and anger at US drone strikes in the tribal belt.
His Lahore rally echoed many of those themes. Pakistan wanted "independence, not slavery" in its relations with the US, he said, before announcing that he would be leaving for China hours later. "I am leaving at the invitation of the Chinese government. Friendship with them will be pursued to the fullest," he said.
But critics said that while his speech was high on inflammatory rhetoric including gratuitous attacks at some rivals and one diplomat it was lacking in concrete prescriptions. "His next challenge is to show that he understands Pakistan's problems and can formulate policy to deal with them" said Zaidi.
Imran Khan laps up acclaim in Pakistan | World news | The Guardian
bc040400065
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theek hai yeh to(second right)
chal jae ge
jalan tu hugi apku but kiya karain,
But this is the realy pakistan, the vast majority that unfortunately don't cast their votes. thats a big challenge for PTI, if these middle class people like me can be convinced that they need to vote if they want a better future, if they want better pakistan. Only sitting in drawing rooms and criticising politics is not going to work now.
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