Imran Khan Taps into the People

By: Summer Yasmin

Political rallies in Pakistan are quite common, but one in particular, held last week, has left Pakistan energized. Imran Khan, chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-I-Insaf (PTI), often seen as the politician that’s “too blunt” proved maybe that’s just what Pakistani’s want. Over 100,000 people gathered in Lahore, some waving their flags high while a popular rock band, Strings accompanied by pop singer Shezad Roy, set the stage for the 58-year old politician.

On that day, a country often seen as drowning in its own socio-political turmoil, found a way to transcend its differences and listen to a politician’s message. When a tradition or norm like this one is broken, the effect is momentous, often making more metaphorical noise than its literally violent counterparts. What’s special about this rally is that it could have easily included my cousins, aunts, uncles and friends, in a heartwarming display of patriotic hope. A participant at the October 30^th gathering at Minar-e-Pakistan, who only wanted to be recognized as Tauseef said, “There were people, including myself and a lot of others I personally know of that attended a political gathering for the first time in their lives.” It is this that rendered the rally different and allowed it to have a resonating affect.

What is so intriguing about this rally is the effect this event has had on the average Pakistani. The Pakistani who doesn’t have the time of day to be concerned with the intricate goings on of the country’s higher ups. These are the people who are just trying to get through the day, who are more pre-occupied with paying bills, educating their children, having electricity in their homes and navigating through the marketplace, than concerning themselves with the ambitions of Pakistan’s leadership. And it was these people that came out in droves to Imran Khan’s rally: the youth, the college students, mothers, fathers, teachers, doctors; these people who are the very essence of Pakistan’s core, a group often overlooked. Rahmat Khan, a resident of Karachi and full time school teacher says, “When the electricity goes on, the water shuts off. We pay rishwat (bribe) to get our kids in school and the very next day some embassy is bombed and there’s a curfew; before it was just the streets, now even our homes are not safe. It’s becoming impossible to live!” And yet, despite these crippling realities of day to day life, Pakistanis still strive to keep going, to forge some semblance of a normal and worthy existence. From last month’s anticipated Pakistan fashion week, to evenings at the Gymkhana Club, the average person just wants to live.

Out of this daily rut, and the average fed-up Pakistani found hope in that rally. Khan brought a fresh angle, something that was desperately needed in Pakistani politics. He may not be able to realistically solve the various problems that plague Pakistan’s society, but it definitely brought back a feel of hope and positivism that has been so long overdue. The fact of the matter is, Khan’s party remains weak. He has few candidates on his party’s roster and many of his supporters aren’t active voters. Compared to other politicians in the race, Imran Khan is still considered a “teenager” who lacks the experience to hold a strong place in Pakistan’s political scene. Whether or not Khan is one to lead Pakistan, his rally accomplished one major thing: it made people feel good, and when people feel good, they do good, and this, in essence is the first step in establishing that proverbial “greater good.” So for that moment in time, in the hearts of those people, perhaps Imran Khan became a savior, of sorts. “I have come here to register my hatred against this corrupt system,” said 29 year old Nadeem Iqbal, when asked why he chose to attend the rally.

Strings said it best, in their song “Mein Tou Dekhoonga” (I’ll See When):

Jab mulq ko baich kay khane wale (The corrupt leaders)

Khud hazm hojaengay (Will be done away with)

Aur pushton say jo gaddi bethay (The prominent leaders before)

Sab bheer may mil jaengay (They will become no one)

Jo duur gaye thae bhoolay say (Those Pakistani’s who left in disappointment)

Lautaengay phir watan ko aik sham (Will come back home with pride)

Wo din phir aayega jab aisa (That day will come)

Hoga Pakistan. (That day is Pakistan.)

Imran Khan aside, who says music can’t bring about change? I mean, it has before…just ask Woodstock.