Rural Pakistan will overwhelmingly support PTI: Imran

Imran’s speech focuses on criticising the PPP and PML-N for failing to deliver for rural masses.

KARACHI/BHALWAL: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan appears determined to respond to every criticism of his ‘tsunami’.

“They say that PTI is a party popular only in urban Pakistan. But tell me what you see; has there ever been this big a rally in Bhalwal?” he asked thousands of his supporters who had gathered in Sargodha’s small town on Sunday.

The answer from the crowds was a loud and emphatic ‘no’.

“Do the rural people not want justice? They do. Injustice in Pakistan’s rural areas is worse than that is urban areas,” he said.  “This PTI tsunami will be even more successful in rural areas because it is the harbinger of change - of the country’s transformation.”

Seeking to explain as to why people in rural areas need more justice, Imran asserted that because of a nexus of feudal-industrial interests, a poor farmer who produces sugarcane is paid 30 per cent less than he deserves for his labour and production.

“Why does Indian Punjab create double the produce of the Pakistani Punjab? It is because the Indian government subsidises them by providing seeds, fertiliser and free electricity.”

This was what PTI intends to do in Pakistan, according to Imran.

“We can earn an additional Rs300billion through agriculture. PTI will make this revenue available for farmers and our preference in allotting these funds will be the weak.”

No holds barred

The greater part of Imran’s speech was focused on criticising the two parties that have hogged civilian rule in Pakistan – the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and its rival Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

“The reason these parties cannot bring about any meaningful change is because they are part of the problem, not the solution,” Imran said. “Their time is up and the days of their rule are gone.”

Picking on PML-N, who Imran has categorically refused to ally with, he said Punjab is their responsibility where they are governing for the fifth time.

“Is Punjab doing any better than the rest of the provinces? No, it isn’t. Look at your tenure from 25 years ago and compare it with the current situation. You have destroyed Punjab.”

Turning his guns to the prime minister who has criticised PTI for not having an agenda, Imran was not the least forgiving.

“First of all, prime minister, I would like to tell you that even if we don’t have an agenda right now, it will be better than yours. Even if we fail to deliver on our promises, we will end up doing a better job than you,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 23^rd,  2012.