PTI Chairman Imran Khan at a political rally. PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE
MINGORA: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan delivered his own version of US civil rights activist Martin Luther King's “I have a dream” speech during a large rally in Mingora, Swat, on Sunday.
Addressing a huge crowd, Imran told the locals about his many dreams and how he fulfilled them, adding that four months back, he dreamt of winning the upcoming elections.
"I dreamt about playing for Pakistan at the age of nine and I played for the national team at 18.
I dreamt of becoming world’s best all rounder; in nine years time I became one.
I dreamt of making Pakistan the best cricket team and winning a world cup; it took 10 years and we won in 1992.
I dreamt of establishing a great cancer hospital, it took five years and Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital was created.
I dreamt of a university like Oxford; I set up Namal University. Though, it is just the beginning for the institution.
When I joined politics, I dreamt of Pakistani people rallying with me for a better Pakistan and on October 30, 2011 the ‘tsunami’ took over Pakistan.
Four months back, I dreamt of Pakistanis celebrating in the streets and I realised PTI had swept the general elections."
Education
Lamenting the sad state of education in the country, Imran said his party will bring one system for both the rich and the poor.
He said he will spend five times more money in education and will invest in the government schools.
Emphasising the need to increase employment opportunities, Imran said his government will promote technical education.
Health
The PTI chairman claimed he has experience in the health sector and he can fix the country’s health system.
He further congratulated the people of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa for the second SKMH being constructed in Peshawar.
Austerity
Repeating the promises he made in the recent Lahore rally, Imran said no MPA or MNA will be given funds in the name of development projects and only local authorities will have access to money allocated for the benefit of the people.
Criticising the lavish lifestyle of the rulers in Pakistan, the PTI chairman said all the “governor houses will be converted into sports grounds and libraries.”
The oppressed
Imran promised to his enthralled audience that he will bring pride to Pakistan during his tenure.
The PTI chairman said he – along with other Pakistanis – will stand by the oppressed, the minorities and the poor.
He added that he will never quit on his people and asked his supporters to do so.
Imran further told the people to prepare for the change as elections are just six weeks away.
COMMENTS (114)
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gimme a break mr martin luther king what next you think up the name pakistan and awake us from khab e gaflat and start walking around wearing a monocle?
In this system of first past the post, a person who wins 50001 vots as against another who polls 49999 gets the assembly seat. I fear PTI will get a reasonable no of votes but not seats since they are not fielding strong candidates
Please....not all dreams come true. He's been dreaming about politics for 16 years now. I'm sure all other politicians are also dreaming of sitting in the PM House. He should've stopped while he was ahead.
My humble suggestion to PTI top leadership that they should ask BALOCHISTAN CHAPTER to start discussing an alliance with Mahood Khan Achakzai party.Also in Sindh they need to do lot of work.Corrupt politician are spending looted money to win the election.
Signs of a negative thinking.@pagal da putar:
Yes we KHAN!
Imran khan is the true leader of Pakistan which is free of any kind of racial and sectarian prejudices .He is not only leader of Kpk but punjab ,sindh and Baluchistan too . From this platform it is my request to Imran khan and PTI workers ,if present here to go for seat adjustment with JI in NA 48 If not then please give the ticket to Dr israr shah who has many contributions and lost his legs during F 8 blasts . Not adjusting seat with JI will surely going to divide the votes of both and end up allowing other political parties to cash this benefit
@imran bhatt: Some people here need to revisit the dictionary and look up the difference between plagiarized and inspired.
Inshallah.. Naya Pakistan........Pakistan Khan Zindabad.
Some people here need to revisit the dictionary and look up the difference between plagiarized and inspired.
To all those praising Imran Khan (formerly Taliban Khan) for his courage to hold a rally in Swat or his anti-drone rally to Wazirstan:
Unlike ANP, MQM & PPP, IK has got all the assurances from TTP that they would not target him or his rally so it's useless to discuss his courage.
Same day a rally organised by ANP in Banu was targeted by TTP, killing 2 several injured.
His right-wing politics, love for religious political parties (especially JI), staunch stand against drones and dumb-silence over TTP atrocities in Tirah Valley has earned him this secured-by-taliban status.
His close ties with TTP are further proved by the fact that he did not mention about Banu incident in his speech, even on humanitarian grounds.
Now, the people of Pakistan are much more informed than they were 10 years back, thanks to social media. Please, stop fooling us!
oh please.
@pagal da putar: because of your name.
IK is the true man, I never seen in my life so change after his cricket life, sacrifice is own life the nation just like Quaid-e-Azam, Its a true reflection of Jinnah. mayAllah give us success. He already delivers for the ppl of Pakistan now we would like to see him as a Prime Minster of Pakistan InshAllah Naya Pakistan.
why do i have the feeling that PTI and Immy will fail miserably!
Thanks tribune for such a nice read
Imran Khan is a dream merchant who is dreaming big for Pakistan. Hope his dream of gaining power comes true so that he is able to translate his dreams into action. Best of luck to him.
The Only Hope :)
This man can only dream with no results. His party was projected by General Pasha in October2011 when there was huge influx of political turncoats and PTI was called Pasha Tehrik Inqlab by social media. After the retirement of Gen Pasha, PTI's artificial popularity graph started declining because educated people want results and not shallow promises or dreams in broad daylight. The same surveys, on which Imran Khan used to boast on in early 2012, are now showing his negative trend.
The credibility of Imran Khan has also become DOUBTFUL when Khawaja Asif informed the public about how SKMT has squandered millions of dollars collected from zakat/donations through a close aide of Imran Khan Niazi. Imran Khan "promised" to take Khawaja Asif to Court http://tribune.com.pk/story/418692/pml-n-will-target-shaukat-khanum-hospital-sita-white-to-malign-me/ But then Imran Khan ran away. Thank you ET for maintaing the record! This is Naya Pakistan !!
@Yousufzai
Could you please elaborate your criteria for successful and failed jalsa? We stand by IK
Zardari is now in history books.@Baloch:
Your eyes were probably not open.This was the biggest JALSA in the history of SWAT.@Yousafzai:
PTI Zindabad <3 Love u IK <3
Big Liar! I am lucky because i dreamt 4 years back!
@imran bhatt: Spoken like a true jiyala or "NS lover" ;-)
Great leader, great speech, momentum is ours, victory is ours inshallah.
The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
An inspiring and frank speech by a great leader whose vision will translate into electoral victory!! Inshallah!!
great. Imran we r with u.
true leader. you are my ideal.
"I won the world cup for Pakistan".....and you call him a democratic leader..
@Javed Afridi: he has already waited more than that... if you have read Pakistani history...
He took literally :) Khan Saheb: Great leaders don't narrate their dreams that they see with closed eyes in sleep..
Copying Martin Luther King. Obey Obama for Naya Pakistan
khan , best
we should all thank God for giving us another chance,and i am afraid we won't be this lucky next time, so this is the time to stand up and VOTE all zar-daris and not-so-shareefs out
Mr Khan needs to stop seeing dreams and open up to practicality.
@Hmm: ppl not only laugh at our youth but laugh at pretty much everyone for bringing corrupt politicians to power every chance we get, politicians that have sold us for pennies, politicians that have looted our country's wealth and have done absolutely nothing for our county. Now tell me why wound outsiders dont laugh at us?
His dream will prove utterly false on 11th May 2013.
@Ali: ROTF and FYS
Please Pakistan love and respect your country and vote for PTI!
@John the Baptist: that's a fact, son. I dont want to fall to ur level. You'll get a befitting reply on May 11. Stock some burnols.
@Yousafzai: really ,,, my father in law also witnessed the gathering and according to him this is by far the best gathering he has ever witnessed :)
inshahlah we can get sucess in the election and change our country by the efforts of Imran Khan
Will he ever say "WE" instead of "I"
@Javed Afridi: Mature like Zardari or sharif? May Allah save every Pakistani from such maturity. Long live Imran khan!!!
In Sha Allah.
All those who say that this was small Jalsa, for them that keep in mind this is Security region. People still scare of going to large gatherings. Plus people were not sitting. They were standing so acquiring less space.
Great work...keep it going Khan Sahab
Pathetic writing, and a preposterous attempt at passing off IK's speech as some spin off of Martin Luther's words.
I wonder how many actually listened to the speech before putting up a rant in the comments section.
It was nothing of the "I have a dream" sort. Not an ounce. A completely different message and a completely different context but he lousy writer couldn't hold back his/her desire to mix the two. In fact the only thing common in IK's speech and that of Martin Luther was the word "dream."
I would suggest everyone listen to the actual speech and then have a good laugh at this write up!
Imran will never accept election results if he lose them. He's self convinced that he has won the elections. People in Pakistan like watching street shows. Just have a look around, any madari alway have a big crowd around him, it's a tradition of Pakistan culture. Obviously all who gather around him doesn't necessarily vote for him. He should understand that.
Who ever thinks Imran Khan is fooling the nation, you are delusional my friend. I have 20 years of education under my belt. I've seen every corner of the world. If any one is being fooled, its you.
Really it was a historical Jalsa and we believe that Imran's dream will be converted into reality Insha ALLAH.
Our beloved land, Pakistan has reached the lowest point. Every day we bring more news of bombings, rapes, brother killing brother and the most venal and sickest corruption. We have lost all faith and self-respect as a people. Pakistanis are ashamed to be Pakistanis. Pakistanis dream of a great leader for whom they can follow. Someone who can rescue them. Someone who can give back our pride. There is only one man who can save us and that is Imran Khan. His life is record of unparalleled success. He made Pakistan a cricking super power. He married the richest lady in England. He built the most successful hospital. A man who is going to rescue and transform Pakistan. I urge all Pakistanis to vote for him. Otherwise there is no hope. Imran Khan Zindabad !!!
@mind control:
Sort the above comments by Reader's Recommendations, find yourself being trampled all over at the bottom and then stop smoking whatever you smoke, which seems to have taken over the control of your pitiful mind!
No other leader have guts to do jalsa in swat. IK you are the best. #Respect
@imran bhatt: and ur orignal leader is? zardari or nawaz?
Vote for PTI! INSHALLAH!
He has good intentions. He deserves one chance. Vote for PTI
All of Imran's worshippers have gathered here today to bow before their Lord.
Time to come back to reality mr Khan.
The only and probably the last chance my fellows. I would consider it an act Of God that a leader like Imran is born in Pakistan, not any other country. Avail this chance and vote for PTI my brothers and sisters. We owe this to our coming generations.
Imran Khan zindabad
I was myself there in the rally and it was a fail show.Compare to PMLN last jalsa this was not even half of that
Imran khan, if he becomes. PM, will prove to the world how easy it was to fool a huge block of the voting population.
We must speak to our family members, friends, relatives, office mates etc to vote for PTI. This is the chance to bring change in Pakistan. We must educate people not to fall prey to the dirty/money politics of PPP and PML-N. Its TIME to ACT. Love PTI
ROFL. Tahir ul Qadri Part 2 :P
@Arsie:
You should drop the "i" in your name to reflect who you truly are to have made this low, baseless comment!
Bravo!
@Javed Afridi: bro I feel pity for people like you. I dont know which part of Afridi region you belong to cuz had you been from Darra Adam Khel or Khyber Agency you wouldnt have said that
I have a dream too ! Mr Imran's party will neither win elections nor will Mr Imran be the Prime-minister. If he ever becomes one , his tenure will be that of failure, because Pakistan's problems are rooted in religion.
All other dreams took 5,10 years but how this dream will take only 5 months... :D
@imran bhatt:
Imran does not plagiarise--you have to thank ET for that!
Go Imran, we are all dreaming with you and will help you with our commitment, skills, money and effort. Get us a rid of the political mafia that has been sucking our blood for decades.
He is the only leader & PTI being the only political party who dared to go to S Waziristan & now to Swat...IK you rock....may alah swt give you success....
Imran is the good looking mullah, he has already sold his soul to the mullahs after the JI deal
Even when he blatantly copies famous speeches his cult following cant understand he is a fake...no wonder people laugh at our country's youth
Anyone whom has any idea of the context behind the original speech should feel disgusted by this. The ideas behind MLK's speech were based on universal rights and mutual respect. It wasn't actually about one man's desires but a reflection of the collective demand of a people who were subjugated to the worst of human tendency - racial discrimination.
This is actually a disgusting and egotistical misuse of a beautiful historical moment.
Please note: This is the leader who changed pakistan!
@Javed Afridi: And in the mean time should we vote for PPP and PML-N?
Naya Pakistan!! INSHALLAH !!
TRUE LEADER.
Imran, you have touched millions of hearts. You have become a role model for people and specially young generation with your passion,charisma and determination for a noble cause.
I am abit disaapointed by the caption of this news report. I fail to understand what makes our media so furious about Imram Khan. In the last minute or so of IK's speech he shared with the audience his dream about what he calls 'Naya Pakistan', which consitutes not even 5% of his total speech time. The topics he emphasized on during his speech was Justice, Education, Law & Order, Health & Care, etc. but unfortunately the aforementioned news report for some reason finds something really interestingly important about the last minute or so of his speech... WHY??? Well, we know the answer :)
pJaved Afridi: Would you please enlighten us with that a mature, grown up leader ready to run this country? I and many more like me would definitely like to know.
@Javed Afridi, he already waited 17 years since PTI's inception and it was after 30th Oct Tsunami in Lahore and 25th Dec Karachi rally happened that people started noticing PTI. Hail Imran Khan
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan delivered his own version of US civil rights activist Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech during a large rally in Mingora, Swat, on Sunday.
More like "I had a dream" from a has been.
Prime Minister Imran Khan.
@imran bhatt: Yes, because unlike other leaders he actually got his degree the old fashioned way... and can read!
copy-cat. His party borrowed the change slogan from Obama's 2008 election campaign & now giving a Martin Luther king style speech. And he calls pml-n a copy cat. Funny.
PTI Insha'allah!
True Leader and inshallah your dream will come true
@Javed Afridi: We have seen what 'the so called grown up geedars' have done with my country, now its time to give a chance to the youngest political party 'PTI' to built 'Naya Pakistan'.
It's time to wake up, buddy !
He is the only hope left.
my leader, but please do not go with JI, they will ruin everything you have dreamt of......
I love to listen Martin luther king that speech there is some thing in it he was great man.
Amin imran khan amin.
Inshallah, its time for the dream to become a reality
You know what...I have not seen a person like him..he is a role model of thousands of people of Pakistan specially youth..he lead from the front..he gave up his luxurious life for Pakistan..for poor..for cancer patients..for under privileged..he could have adopted the easy path of living his life..but I think he is the chosen one from ALLAH to change the destiny of this nation..
Then wait for the next 9 to 10 years until you grow up and are mature enough to run a country.
in sha Allah
Insha ALLAH victory will be ours.
we hope that our tomorrow will be better than today.
What a dream.. Like to Karna parahy ga..
Inshallah!
One true leader !!!
really the amazing speech..kudos to IK...Pakistan is with you
a true inspirational human being & leader ,my heart just went out to PTI ,,vote for PTI
PTI will win this election and Imran Khan will be the next Prime Minister of Pakistan. INSHALLAH. Pakistan Zindabad!
well these were not actually main points of his speech
it was more about justice and peace
Super Jalsa. PTI victory
Even Khan's epiphany moments are plagiarised.