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Politicking: Imran Khan sees revolution in new members
Shah Mehmood’s brother joins PTI, Multan bar president likely to join today.
Shah Mehmood’s brother joins PTI, Multan bar president likely to join today.
MULTAN: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan on Thursday described the decision of several sitting and former members of the parliament to join the PTI as a sign of the approaching revolution in the country.
“People of Pakistan no longer need to wait for a revolution. The revolution has happened. Its affects will be soon visible in the country,” Khan said at a press conference in Multan. He was accompanied by PTI vice-chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi and his brother Mureed Hussain Qureshi, who had earlier announced his decision to join the PTI.
That the elected representatives of the people were resigning their membership of the assemblies and joining his party, Khan said, was a clear sign of a revolution underway in the country. “They have joined the PTI because they do not want to be a part of a corrupt government,” he said.
He said Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani was correct in worrying about a move against his government. Though this time, he said, the ‘conspiracy’ was being hatched by the people of the country against the corruption of the government.
If there had been a threat to the democracy, he asked, why did the prime minister conceal it from the people.
He said the government had failed to deliver on even a single promise it had made on coming to power. He said there could be no free and transparent elections as long as President Asif Ali Zardari was in power.
Khan criticised Pakistan Muslim League president Nawaz Sharif for his party’s tacit support to the government. He said had the PML-N wanted to remove the government all its parliamentarians could have resigned and forced the government to call early elections. He said the PML-N had been supporting “the PPP’s corruption on the assumption that it will be its turn after the next elections.”
Khan said that he would not become a part of any caretaker set up in the country. He said the PTI would come to power on the basis of a free and a transparent election. He said if a caretaker government was set up only those supporting the sitting government would join it. Talking about the war against terrorism, Khan said the country’s peace stood undermined for as long as there was a military operation against the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan. He said since the suspension of the operation there had been no terrorist attacks in the country. He mentioned United States Vice President Joe Biden’s recent statements about the possibility of a dialogue with the Taliban and said that the US too had realised that there was no military solution to the Afghan conflict.
He said the government was seen as trying to influence the memogate case and the National Reconciliation Ordinance case proceedings underway in the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
PTI vice chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi said his brother, Mureed Hussain, had decided to join the PTI despite an offer for the position of advisor to the president. He said the prime minister and the president had been trying to contact Hussain till 4am in the morning to persuade him against joining the PTI.
Arbab Ali Syed, the High Court Bar Association’s Multan chapter president, is expected to announce his decision to join the PTI today (Friday).
Published in The Express Tribune, December 23rd, 2011.
Reader Comments (26)
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Sign of a true, fearless leader. GEO IMRAN KHAN. You make Pakistan proud over and over again.
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Pakistan has gone down hill from day one because of its hate policies and the corrupt culture of its leaders. This has to change.
Leaders should also talk about their schemes of making Pakistan a prosperous industrial giant. They must identify the strengths of their country and how they want to use them.
Playing politics only will not help people achieve a better standard of living.
pakistan has the potential of becoming the Japan of South Asia. Work on that.
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Mr IK if u can contest under Musharaf (2002)why not under Zardari.
Constitution can not be changed as per your wish.
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@amjad cheema:
The constitution is not a God sent holy book that can not be changed. It is based on the wishes and aspirations of the people of Pakistan. the majority of the people of Pakistan feels that the current administration under Zardari can not be trusted considering what happened during by-elections.
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@amjad cheema: No need to change the constitution, but one can at least expect an independant election commisioner…. Have fair elections and IK will sweep the polls.Recommend
What does Imran wants then? No elections, no voting, just invite him to power? Is he day dreaming?
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ppp itslf is victim of engineered elections always. None can b more intrested in fair elections than ppp. Fyi BBs to be last activity before death was exposing election rigging plans.Recommend
I see Shah sahib sitting next to IK. And I read no free, fair elections under Zardari:Imran Khan… this is SO ironic. OH SO IRONIC.
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What are you talking about?
There is nothing free or fair, within Pakistan, period!!!!
Where have you been for past two decades, not to have realise this ???
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PPP has contested each and every election during a hostile or military govt. Despite that they have won most of the time. The Election Commission only recently cleaned the voter lists prepared during Mush, and PTI and IK were gloating about that. Now all of a sudden before the March senate elections, the same election commission is not acceptable? These are all excuses of the rightwing parties (they are different parties but they converge on one point) to avoid elections and use the backdoor. The army gives guard of honor to gen Mush who had to run away from Pakistan but the civilian supermacy is not acceptable.
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Those who have been rigging elections are supporting Imran. And he is blaming the toothless Zardari who was elected by two third majority. Which democracy and constitution is he talking about? Who is Imran to demand his removal?
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He said the same thing in 2008 elections which turned out to be free and fair. Stop whining and focus on winning. I’m sure he can do a good job this time with the amount of support he has gathered.
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So Imran Khan talks about justice and democracy, and is happy for Zardari to be removed from office on the Army’s beck and call?
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“Laws are only to be used when convenient under Imran Khan.” Dirty politics under a guise of cleanliness.
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@amjad cheema: H
How you can convince the supporters of Imran khan to respect the constitution of Pakistan when the skipper himself cannot respect the constitution? And top of that:- they also call themselves educated!
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Imran Khan looking ways to boycott future elections. Old habit..
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I was born n raised in england n Imran Khan always makes us overseas pakistanis proud! We feel proud how he talks with courage, hope and patriotism! He really makes us feel proud of being pakistanis n makes us believe that there really is hope. Im confused why it took pakistanis so long to appreciate his leadership n calibre. I can say one thing though, if IK was a politician in england he would definately be the PM! Because of his charismatic leadership, his truthfulness and his vision to help the vulnerable in society.
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Kinda early to complain about election rigging isn’t it?
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Is PTI new name for the old group of thieves? If the majority of the members are from PPP & PML what’s point in claiming change & revolution? It’s important not to be carried away – I wait to see strategy and solutions while I am tired off hearing Imran Khan’s big promises.Recommend
@Abbas:
what about that whooping 46% bogus votes in 2008 elections???>.
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i Love you IK
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Constitution does not allow leaders to loot and destroy the country. If IK is asking for free and fair elections, wuts wrong with it?
Don’t you want election commission to fix this once and for all? We all know its broken. IK is trying to fix your electoral process and u r complaining? Why?
Whenever I read about IK or listen to him, he is trying to fight for judiciary and struggling Pakistanis, talk about economic and education reforms, and eliminating corruption from our country.
He is the only true nationalist Pakistani leader and we don’t support him? Wuts wrong with us?
I truly believe that Pakistanis are responsible for the current affairs of Pakistan because they always elect corrupt politicians that are in politics for their personal gains and want to stay in power.
IK is a God’s gift to Pakistan so please vote for him. God has given him everything but he is in politics to serve us so lets go and support him.
I cannot wait for the day when he is the leader of our country and we gain our independence from corrupt leaders.
There is no looking back, we will move forward with IK.Recommend
imran khan next prime minister off pakistan every one join him
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imran khan next prime minister off pakistan join him every one this your chance to change your pakistan, Allah willingRecommend
If the incumbent political leadership has consistently proven itself incapable of managing state affairs (and let’s not kid ourselves – it has proven itself incapable in almost every faucet of governance) then the logical step would be to move towards a change in leadership. The problem is magnified due to the extreme corruption displayed by the incumbent government which has seen the nation reeling from one economic crises to another.
Having said that, the collective opposition (PTI included) should be searching for a constitutional solution, i.e. challenge the incumbent government in the parliament or wait for the next elections.
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Respectable Sir,
i want to member of your party as worker and my wish says serve to PTI
so sir please make me your member.
your faithful and sincerely
Wazir Ali Solangi
Mithiani district naushahro feroze post
office Mithiani Sindh pakistanRecommend