I credit the PTI chairman with creating awareness in an otherwise sleeping generation
KARACHI: I have grown up knowing a Pakistan plagued by provincialism and the only times when I ever witnessed the feeling of nationhood has been on Independence Day or winning the T20 World Cup. For me, politicians have been people who serve only their own interests. No matter who has ruled over Pakistan, the country has continued to suffer more or less with no significant progress. This is not to say that there has never been any development or welfare, but it has always focused on a particular segment of society.
I was taught in school about the great leaders and their sacrifices which created Pakistan. Later, at university I studied subjects like international relations and the management of the economy of Pakistan, which made me realise where we stand today. I studied with people from different parts of the country and met some who supported the idea that their province should be an independent state. Their desire was fuelled from the years of injustice their people witnessed and suffered. This owes its existence to loss of hope, and lack of peace, prosperity and security.
In the most democratic of states, elections are a chance for the electorate to choose a new government and leader. Citizens vote for candidates they think can bring a positive change to their lives. Till the 2013 election I had never voted, mainly because I didn’t think there was a good candidate. There was no evidence of commitment and an action plan for the wellbeing of the common man. I was indifferent to politics, as well as to the fairness, or otherwise, of the electoral process. I lacked awareness of my rights as a citizen of a democratic state. But things changed as people gained familiarity with the new ideology presented by Imran Khan. I wasn’t one of those who signed up for the PTI right away; it took me a long while to do that but Mr Imran convinced me with his vision, commitment and courage.
This is not just my story. It represents a number of friends, relatives, and acquaintances from Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. Like me, all these people voted for the PTI. We voted for the vision of Pakistan that Imran Khan presented but what happened after that? Corruption ruled once again.
Today, I support Imran Khan much more than I did at the time I cast my vote for his party. I do not say that he can bring a radical change but standing up against the prevailing evil is a first step. Had I still been lost in my years of slumber, I would have been indifferent to the Azadi march and what it stands for. At the very least, I credit the PTI chairman with creating awareness in an otherwise sleeping generation, whom the Quaid-e-Azam called the backbone of Pakistan.
Bisma Salahuddin
Published in The Express Tribune, September 22nd, 2014.
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