Testing the waters: PTI to bring thousands to Qureshi’s Ghotki rally Sunday
PTI Sindh president Naeemul Haque briefed reporters on Friday about party chief Imran Khan’s upcoming visit. Khan is expected to cross the Sindh border on November 27 and will attend the Ghotki rally. They are estimating that 10,000 to 12,000 supporters from the Punjab and another 5,000 to 7,000 from Sindh will come along. After the Ghotki rally, Khan will visit Sukkur, Larkana and Pir jo Goth, where “influential Sindh leaders” will announce that they have joined the PTI, including a relative of Pir Pagara. Haque also said that Karachi’ites such as Oxford University Press head Ameena Saiyid have joined PTI.
While Khan will not be visiting Karachi on this Sindh tour, he will be in the city a few days prior to the party’s December 25 rally, which he reportedly believes will be bigger than the one in Lahore. According to Haque, “This rally will be a historic one - if not the most, then at least in the top 2. We have submitted an application to the government and expect to receive approval soon.” Haque said that the party does fear that the government may deny permission, but has no concrete information on this front. While no time has been announced for the rally yet, Haque says the party expects Karachi residents will attend, as well as people from Sindh, Punjab and Peshawar. “PTI is the only political party that can bring together people of all ethnic groups,” said Haque.
On Thursday, Christians asked the PTI to change the rally’s date as it coincides with Christmas. However, the party believes that the rally will not cause them any problems or make it difficult for them to reach any church in the vicinity of the rally’s venue. “We have Christians in the party as well and have their support. It is also Quaid-e-Azam’s birthday that day.”
When asked whether the PTI had been in touch with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) or invited it to attend, Haque said, “We have not been in touch with any party.
The MQM is allies with the corrupt Pakistan Peoples Party government and until they stop supporting President Zardari, it will be very difficult to work with them.” The PTI is also preparing for the 2013 elections and expects to have over 60 candidates ready for the National Assembly seats by December.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 26th, 2011.
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Congats, Imran Khan -From a strong critic!
@abubakar: duh............grow up!
the point, we have given chances to pro establishment parties in past. Now a person from punjab is anti establishment that is Nawaz which is good sign. should support anti establishment first time in history of pakistan. again pro establishment party will b disaster.
SMQ still double minded . . .!!!
Haroon: yesterday I met with an evangelist as a matter of fact in my life I have met a few Pandits too. That doesn't make me a Christian or a Hindu, it just means I can talk to people from different faith while remaining steadfast at my stance. IK also met the Chinese but that doesn't make him a Chinese or a communist. Just meeting someone is not an indicator if support or agreement
@Adnan Ilyas: Ya adnan...Imran i know for a fact wasnt with Musharraf..he did not support this war against terror when he was with him..he did not meet the DG ISI and American Ambasador together...com on give me a break
@abubakar: You seriously need to re-asses the whole political scenario and people's opinion to see if IK is really an establishment party. Let me tell you IK is the rising sun and no one can stop it.
abubakar I think you are queit wrong infact i am sure u r wrong. What you are trying to say is all the pakistani community is stupid apart from you. I think now people are educated enough to see what is right and wrong and I think Imran Khan is right person.We have given chances to every party apart from PTI so I believe we should try them and If it doesnt work out then so what, it hasnt been working out since 1947.
@abubakar: ISI made Nawaz Sharif not IK, Imran khan has long struggled to be at this position and besides -- he is going to come into power with ppl's vote there is no other way
@abubakar: in ur dreams.... SMQ will only join a party who is not an american puppet, and currently it is only PTI which has guts to give Pakistan's view point to amreekans....
And if he joins PMLN it will be long journey back for PTI fans :)
SQM announcing his own party and entering into alliance with PTI will be a win win situation for PTI and SQM both. PTI passionate fans who do not want SQM to join PTI because of his previous political affiliations and feudal background will be pacified. SQM who claims to have resigned on account of his principled stance over an issue of national iinterest (Raymond Davis Issue) will be getting a boost to his image. His name will undergo a sorty of theoratical cleansing and he will certainly gain some political mileage by associating himself with the rising Mr. Clean & PTI currently considered as the Agent of a Big Change in pipeline which masses anticipate so desperately.
PML-N which is striving to compensate its deterirating popularity in Urban Punjab by making inroads into Sind & Seraiki belt will be feelings the tremors of losing its grip further. But the worst will be for the PPP and it may start reconsidering Mr. Gailani from some other constituency to avoid any major set back to its key names if Mr. Gailani is fielded in the same consituency and subsequently not successful against SQM.
It would be the worst move by SMQ if he joins PTI. IK is not a leader, he is just brought up for some vested interests by establishment and he will fall apart soon ....
true leader serves. Serves people. Serves their best interests, and in doing so will not always be popular, may not always impress. But because true leaders are motivated by loving concern than a desire for personal glory, they are willing to pay the price.
So, Shah Mahmood Qureshi will be joining PTI. Even if he does not and create his own political group his group will most certainly be in a political alliance with PTI in the coming elections.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi joining PML-N is a distant probability now.
If I were Shah Mahmood, I will form my own political party which will be in alliance with PTI.