The Imran Khan wave, which the cricketer-turned-politician prefers to call ‘tsunami’, reached Karachi on Sunday with a large turnout at a Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf (PTI) meeting which surprised many political analysts, some of whom termed it one of the largest rallies recently held in the city. – Photos by Hussain Afzal/Dawn.com; Imran Khan photo by AFP; Panoramic photo (stitch) by Nadir Siddiqui/Dawn.com.
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Kiramat Shah
Dec 26, 2011 02:37pm
The youth are up for the change not for the first time, but mostly they were betrayed by the slogans of juglers, Imran Khan is neither inherted politician nor he thinks to grap money for children, grand children and grand grand children, he has already fullfilled his commitment and I believe he is the man, who will bring the change, the REAL CHANGE.
I was an active member of political party for 25 years, which has utterly failed in delivering things except empty solgans. Imran Zindabad, I will be your new voter along with my family.
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Azhar
Dec 26, 2011 03:27pm
Why don't media report reasons of rising stature of Imran Khan ? Being an outright supporter of one political party is not an objective journalism.
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malik muhammad maloo
Dec 26, 2011 04:06pm
hope that all the youth of our country has to join hands with imran khan to change the paracite, enimy to save beloved country
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Asim
Dec 26, 2011 04:13pm
Great Crowd! Hope they vote for Imran too. MQM possesses most of the seats in Karachi..Will be interesting to watch the contest. Let Altaf Bahi respond and see what can MQM do now! If it is the real change, everyone will welcome it for sure.
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Mohammad Akram
Dec 26, 2011 04:36pm
A support given by Pakistanis at Karachi to Imran Khan shows that there is an obvious change in next elections. People of Pakistan trust his words and no doubt he is not greedy or liar like many politicians of today in Pakistan. They have bad records but Imran Khan is a great politicians with clean slate. Good luck Imran Do whatever you can for the people of Pakistan People do want to see you their PM in next elections.
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Umer
Dec 26, 2011 05:41pm
This is a real tsunami against Cruel System which is delivering nothing to masses. Imran Khan is the real "Man of the World". Everyone should support him with zeal and zest. Best of luck Imran and best of luck Pakistan....... if there will not overseas' vote in coming election then Inshallah I will go to Pakistan only to vote Imran but it would be far better if Election Commission will approve our right of casting our votes. Keep it on Imran!!!
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moe
Dec 26, 2011 06:32pm
The people of Karachi have overwhelmed me and the world alike, just when every one thought that Karachi is owned by PPP N MQM, the masses of Karachi have given their verdict that they are simply Pakistanis and the best of lot, their affiliations are not narrowed to linguistic issues that one party claims they are not regional, a progressive Karachi means a progressive Pakistan, I can now see HOPE and wish that each one who was in this rally would actually come out and vote they would blow the evil forces away
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Tanveer Aftab
Dec 26, 2011 08:26pm
We are with you Imran Khan. If you are in power as PM, first thing you should do is there will be ECL for all those politicians who are waiting for an opportunity to flee by minting as much wealth as possible. They knew end is near. When son of PM did not care for Hajis along with Mullahs. How can we expect one percent relief from them.
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ibrahim
Dec 26, 2011 10:15pm
We hope that the Captain will deliver and will be bring a real change. The youth of this ill fated nation has great expectations from the Captain. He will inshallah be Mahather for this country and I am optimistic about the revolutionary changes after the forthcoming election.
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M. Asghar
Dec 27, 2011 12:12am
Pakistan is at a tipping point in the midst of a myriad of problems and only this Imran may help it to tip in the right direction.Let us all push together in the same dirction.
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Muhammad Ali
Dec 27, 2011 12:28pm
PTI rocks!!!!!!!!! iA me and my family vote for PTI in next elections
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Imran
Dec 27, 2011 12:59pm
Being out of Pak, I am proud of my Nation.........they r alive:)
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hussain
Dec 27, 2011 03:18pm
well done dear. Steer the illfate boat of Pakistan out of the troubled water. I pray that you deliver the goods exactly as you say
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SK
Dec 27, 2011 03:44pm
True man and a True Leader = IK
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anjum nesar
Dec 27, 2011 04:31pm
The most important thing to do is beside eradicating corruption is also fast trials for all corrupt politicians, army generals and bureaucrats. and those who involved in big corruptions up to 5 crore and more we should start selecting the lamp posts where they should be hanged in after very quick trials.
of course corruption is the base for all evils because all evil things these people doing to make money.
of course imran can't eradicate all ills just in few days or months but steadily he can do this task as when leader is honest (like khan) he stands a very real chance to put the country on the prosperity path.
We all should be with him for real change in this ill fated country and shouldn't forget to punish all these robbers once he gets power.
GOD BLESS PAKISTAN AND OUR NEW LEADER
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Prof. Zubairi, USA
Dec 27, 2011 04:56pm
During the 50s Maulana Maudoodi took out a mile long procession on Bunder Road and I watched within one week both in Mochi Derwaza of Lahore and Aram Bagh of Karachi his speech ( same speech) draw more than 60, 000 people. In a city of millions with ethnic populations from outside Karachi now reaching millions a few hundred thousand people in a gathering is significant but definitely not an unusual event. So far Imran is hot air, without an ideology, an intellectual difference, a plan to rid Pakistan of poverty and underdevelopment and lacks a solution to its basic problem- the ethnic rivalries reaching unpatriotic behavior. So far his reach is provincial. He has no significant non-MQM Karachiites with him. He has never been tested in power. He has vested interests abroad that can be leveraged to influence his actions. It is Old wine in new bottles, so far, although he sound as if his heart is in the right place.
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Irshad
Dec 27, 2011 05:46pm
A person like Imran Khan can bring smile on Pakistanis in 1992 world, I am certain that he can bring changes again and bring the smile to our nation as a whole.
But I request the nation, please do not see yourself as Mohajr, Bolachi, Sindi or Punjabi, see yourself as Pakistani as one nation, as Our Respect Q Ali Jinnah saw it as one nation. I know it's going to be very hard for Imran to change, but we as a nation need to change our self first. If I can vote from UK I will be the first with my family and friends to vote for Imran Khan for a change.
Pakistan Zindabad.
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Ayub Khan
Dec 27, 2011 06:42pm
Imran--you can do it only if you take care of a few basic things which are as doable as a walk in the park.
1. abolish VIP culture i.e, no more police mobiles/armed guards in front and back of ministers, MNA's, MPA's, advisers and chamchas of the above.
2. provide unobstructed footpaths for the 90 % population who have to walk on the road just because the foot path is occupied by guards, tents, lawns etc. of the home owners. these include counsulates/ embassies, if they want a blast wall have them upgrade thier own boundry wall. Space ouside the boundry wall belongs to the public.
3. depoliticise the the police, police stations should be manned by the people belonging to the same locality.
there are few more but I think this will be a good start.
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Abdul Ghaffar
Dec 27, 2011 11:19pm
Many thanks to everyone for turning up for Pakistan.
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Iftikhar Ali
Dec 27, 2011 11:36pm
Couple of points for Imran Khan to succeed.
1. Justice for all -- The more powerful, the more accountable that person is. Increase the pay for judges and held them accountable for their work.
2. Education -- Pay parents/kids to send their children to school. Bring celeberities like Shehzad Roy for the cause of education.
3. Land Reform -- Allow large land holdings only if they grow crop on it. Provide water and fertilizer to farmers. Buy chunks of land and distribute to farmers.
4. Corruption -- Pass Capital punihsment laws to anyone who is involved in corruption. Must start from Top-- the more privilidged is more accountable.
5. Police -- Increase Salary for Police starting from the bottom.
6. Small Townships -- Have small administrative independent townships/cities where each is responsible for local tax collection and expenditure. A %age goes to Province and Federal for national level expenditures.
7. Tax Authority -- Create independent Tax authority for tax collection free of political influence. Give each township control over their money. This way people and business who avoid paying taxes Today may start paying their fair share once they start seeing their money is being used properly.
I hope that people of Pakistan supports Imran khan regardless of their ethnicity. He might be one who help rid Pakistan of decades of corruption, crime and poverty. He will need to create alliances with people and parties that may not have a very good track record..but If he can stay focus that will put pressure on others as well.
Iftikhar Ali
New Jersey, USA.
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John Civillo
Dec 28, 2011 10:59am
Has Dawn become a mouth piece of PTI? Dawn seems to be giving undue coverage to PTI and Imran Khan. That itself proves PTI and Imran Khan is only a puppet of establishment. Governance is not playing cricket. PTI and Khan seem to be a cocktail of old opportunists from different bottles. It does not have any ideological vision to deal with the complex problems Pakistan faces right now. The people flocking together with Imran also are those who flow with the waves. After a while, they will disperse and disappear. This is not going to long last. This is only a part of makeshift idea of the establishment to pre-empt emergence of a real and long lasting third front with ideological orientation in Pakistani Politics.
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