Imran Khan Needs Money

Ras #10: Edhi and his wife would win an election anytime, if they just put their name on a ballot. That is how much support they have. Interestingly Edhi generally supports Musharraf.

The toughest task for any philanthrapist is to get into politics. Not to stay away from it. I wish Edhi would get into politics. If the future of a country is to be decided by politicians, then shouldn`t we want the best people to be in it.

It is much easier to be an honest philanthrapist, then to be an honest philanthrapist and politician. And to be successful, while being honest.

BB is evil. Her party (actually it is not her party, it belongs to all Pakistanis) is not evil. But she herself has robbed the country dry. Please follow Transparency International. Why in the world should a person, who has built her whole life on feudal power, and has then used that power to rob a country be its leader. Such people should be in jail. There are plenty of other more competent people in Pakistan. She is destroying her own party by not allowing any other leadership to emerge. PPP is now disintegrating, because her MNAs are fed up with her. Family-dominated parties, with no internal elections, only have a short life.

The status quo of Pakistani politics i.e. PPP and PML feudals are very scared of Imran Khan. It sounds silly right now, since PTI only has one seat. But it is true. Both PPP and PML join hands, even though they hate each other, when they fight PTI. The other group they are scared of are the mullahs. However, they can discredit the mullahs by pointing to their narrow-mindedness.

But there is no way for them to discredit the members of PTI, or Imran Khan. He is scruplously honest, simultaneoulsy Western and Islamic (reborn Muslim), has money, and the most international clout of anyone in Pakistan (perhaps in all of South Asia). And these feudals are dead scared of what will happen to them if PTI-type parties take over. PTI is PPP without the corrupt feudal executives. The intellectual urbanites of PPP, like Aitezaz Ahsan, have a lot more common with PTI than with PPP (where they will never be allowed to be the leader).

PTI has had a whole list of chances to gain strength. Imran Khan has been approached by every govt. from Zia to NS to BB to Musharraf to Qazi. Anyone would love to have him on their team. They would make him the second or third most powerful person in their party, i.e. President of Pakistan, or Chief Minister of Punjab etc. NS offered PTI around 38 seats in the first election. Musharraf wanted to push Imran Khan for top positions. Zia offered him a Senatorship. PTI refused everything (this is unheard of in Pakistani politics).

The biggest satisfaction I get as a member of this party is that I get to meet people like myself. Urban Pakistani who simultaneously admire the West and Islam and are fed up of the ignorant mullahs and the self-serving, ``liberal`` feudals.

There are no big names/powerful brokers in PTI other than Imran Khan (the head of Sindh PTI is an acconplished dentist - not a feudal, etc.). So they cannot win in the current system of thugs. But, once all the leaderships in Pakistan have been tried and discredited, who else will people go to? People have gone to the mullahs now. But the mullahs (most of whom do represent the lower class and are generally well-meaning - at least far more well meaning than the PML and PPP leaders) are too narrow-minded and do not have the vision. Army didn`t work, and ethnic parties are going down. At that point, PTI type parties will come in. Give it a year or two.

Hamayun Gauhar is a leading member of PTI. His views mirror mine:

``Why has this Islamic Republic become so un-Islamic? What`s going on? I`ll tell you what`s going on. We are caught in the middle of two great pantomimes. One pantomime is being played by the self-proclaimed cleric. It is the pantomime of obscurantism. The other is being played by fake liberals. This one is the pantomime of bigotry. Both are riven by dogma and ritual. What is entirely absent in both is the intent of God and the meaning of democracy. Absent are the people for whom and supposedly in whose name the pantomimes are being enacted. We worry about the enemies without. Let`s begin worrying about the enemies within, the two biggest being fake clerics and pseudo liberals who are spreading the virus of obscurantism and bigotry carried by the insects of dogmatism and ritualistic aping of alien, retrogressive, feudal systems and methods?`` (www.nation.com.pk)

P.S. Having a person like Jemima Khan as the first lady would be a great asset for Pakistan. She has converted to Islam (not an easy thing to switch religions), spends more time in Pakistan than us expatriates. And is a very down to earth and nice person. Even if she was Christian (or Jewish - she was actually Christian) it shouldn`t make any difference.

I agree with everything you write, almost, other than your support for BB. You have been out of Pakistan too long, or do not have the facts. Please join Transparency Int. and ask for info on BB. They sent out some interesting pamphlets when I joined. So much so, that BB forbade her party to attend the Transp. Int. meeting on corruption that was attended by all political parties in Pakistan. PPP is a good party. Bhuttos are going to ruin it.

My choice for Pakistani leadership:

1. Parties like PTI or Omer Asghar`s party.
2. PPP, if (very decisive if) it can get rid of its feudal leadership, specially Bhuttos, and comes under the leadership of urbanites like Aitezaz Ahsan etc. (in which case, it would become a ditto copy of what PTI is - with more votes).

As a captain he was great, as a person he was a rich arrogant pakistani playboy. But lets give credit to the man he did build a cancer hospital , the only one of its kind in pakistan where specialized care for cancer is given under one roof . I f you think thats no big accomplishment try running around pakistan getting treatment for a cancer patient who requires for his cure or care a close coordination b/w oncologists, surgoens radiologists , nuclear medicine experts , pathologists.... the list goes on & on. Though Mr khans hospital in order to meet its own standards treats a dismally low number of patients but it is better than nothing .
I do not like Imran khan`s political juggling, his twisted & new found love of islam , but had i been there in Pakistan i would have voted for him unless Edhi was the oppostion candidate

#12 by Ayesha

[Although this is my first article on chowk, I have in the past, written equally critically of PPP/PML/MQM/ANP leaders in other publications]

Ayesha Bibi, you may be good in doing criticism like many of us but please do generate some potential to face criticism and try to learn from it rather then explaining your free time activities of working with Edhi Foundation which has no relevence here.

It would be better if you try to understand the reasons of PTI`s not so good performance in Elections mentioned in various posts. In a country where as per Zubaida Jalal`s analysis we might reach 85% literacy(not education rate) rate in 2015, for people like Imran is not easy to make their way. If you watch PJ Mir`s show regulary , several time Imran admits that he is not an angel. I ll be grateful if you can give him benefit of doubt.

asaleh1:

i agree on the point that PTI candidates though educated and all, lack charisma. people do not vote on mere good intentions of others. the ability to rally an audience, provide entertainment at gatherings and connecting them with the political aspirations is the skill PTI candidates lack. being a guest on BBC/ARY/PTV is no where near as vital as being in the midst of masses who want to be entertained as well as given some hope- especially in the absence of any crowd pulling agenda.

Romair

Strong word - ``stupidest articles``. I mean you have all the right to put your point across, but don`t you think your arguments were sufficient to make your point. I think you are being blind sided by your loyalty to Imran Khan.

First of all, I think there would be a number of people that are working selflessly for Pakistan, be it Edhi or the CPLC head. But that does not automatically qualify them for the PM`s seat. Or I am sure they have not thought about it also. The question is not man`s integrity but his plan to do something when he gets elected. The only mandate that I can remember from Imran`s campaign is corruption.

I mean I would like to give money to a political party that has something more original than that. Can somebody come with a slogan to redirect the defence expenditure to something more productive. To do something more than just reducing the electricity price and cover that by running a budget deficit (IMF says that Wapda would have a PKR 30 billion deficit). But I do agree mere slogan slinging is not sufficient it is important to see the person and his associates behind him. I mean with PML N wanting to bring back NS or the PPPP wanting to bring back BB would not find favor with me (as a mandate for election).

The problem with Imran Khan`s campaign, to me it seems, is that it woos the tribal type population who would want to keep their women folk without their right to vote (what percentage of women voted in NWFP).

I think the reason why Imran Khan lost in our constituency was that no candidate or its supporters ever visited us to discuss our views. But what is saw of MMA was that they ran a successful campaign getting bus loads of people straight from their masjids into the polling booth. Now that is serious efforts. Mere advertisements do not get people into the polling booth. Nor the fact that what you think are the issues and the ones important to the public. I mean after the previous two elections Imran Khan should understand that. What he stands for is not what the public is looking for.

scout:
`give him money people, what`s wrong with you.... `

i agree. you`re my hero. feel free to to max out your credit card at this site: http://www.insaf.org.pk/contribute.htm

ayeshakhan:

i will read about edhi`s claims. and will hold it against PTI if i do read about those claims. incidently, was this controversy with Eidhi over the bakray kee khaal collection? inform those of us who don`t have access to his book. i think there are many stupid things imran khan did. maybe he`s still doing them. initially supporting musharaf for one. magnifiying the ridiculous pathan code of conduct as something brilliant whereas it should be ridiculed before being torn up before being trashed.

glad to hear you volunteer at the edhi foundation. however, that in no way counters the accusation that you sip tea in mansions.

despite this, perhaps you would like to make a statement on the MAIN basis of our argument that PTI as a whole has shown it`s a serious contender by nominating educated and non-establishment candidates. comment on that. if it was power hungry, it could easily have selected incompetent retired fauji-fuks or other establishment folks with deep pockets.

and you did not comment on the money raising efforts of Imran. if he could just sit home and let the dough come in, why run around collecting funds for his hospital? do you think he really enjoys talking to abcd-mentality pakistanis giving lectures on how the country can be run more efficiently?

Dear Ms Khan

I am not an Imran Khan fan, but asking for political contributions is a legitimate task. In fact the PTI was probably the only party to release the list of all contributors. While Imran Khan doesn`t seem to have established a proper structure in his party for fund raising. That si to be expected, he is fairly well known for a personality based Party rather then a well organised grass roots party.
On the other hand Imran does not represent the whole party. No matter how rich he may be, no person can fund a party out of their own pocket. Organising a single Jalsa is a costly affair and I think it can safely be said his political opponents massively outspent his party candidates.

re: ayeshakhan #12

...good article...don`t let the ranting below get to you...these people are all prisoners of their own delusions...

As the author of this article, I would just like to set the record straight. I am by no means affiliated with any of the political parties in Pakistan. Nor do I believe that the status quo should be maintained in Pakistan. But simultaneously, I also do not believe that Imran Khan is free from controversy or hypocrisy. Therefore, I feel, as a politician in the public eye, he is fair game for public criticism.

Although this is my first article on chowk, I have in the past, written equally critically of PPP/PML/MQM/ANP leaders in other publications. I find it rather scary in fact that a select number of readers assumed that because I was critical of Imran Khan, I must in some way be affiliated with PPP/PML. It is even more disturbing that one assumed that because I was critical of Imran Khan, I must be sipping tea with the elite in some mansion. Incidentally, I spend my free time volunteering at the Edhi Foundation. And I would encourage some of these people to read Mr. Abdul Sattar Edhi`s autobiography--especially the part where he talks about the arm-twisting tactics employed by Mr. Khan when Edhi refused to support him politically. It may be a bit of an eye-opener for some of you out there!

New leadership will emerge in Pakistan sooner or later.

But in the mean time I still support BB, but if Imran Khan who is my third choice at the moment needs support for TI, he has it.

I will support anyone that makes Pakistan look good overseas AND has a track record of spending some time in community service in Pakistan.
Imran DID build a cancer hospital in Lahore for Pakistanis. For that
he has my admiration.

And if anyone is wondering, my first choice is not Musharraf or the military. It is Maulana Sattar Edhi but thank god that he avoids politics.

Pakistan is a country of iconoclasts. Our leaders are worthy of much criticism as this writing exemplifies. But sometimes I think that
Pakistanis overseas spend too much time being critical and don`t do enough for the people that they left behind.
That is a general observation and is not aimed at the author of this article. But I believe we should move beyond Imran`s wife and look
at Jemima Khan as one of our own now. Being rich is not a crime.

Poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, health care and basic human needs in Pakistan should remain our focus. If Imran can help in any of these areas, he will have my humble contribution.

Ras

best looking politician in the world = imran khan

give him money people, what`s wrong with you.... people paid loads of money to see him play cricket, why not give him some more to play politician and maybe, just maybe, he might turn out to be a good ruler.

Well, well well. Before I say why, let me just say out right that this article is total trash.

I would say that money isn’t the main reason for Imran Khan’s lack of success. I’d say that he’s not had any luck (with an establishment of fauji fuks etc., luck is hard). Money is the second reason however.

Before analyzing Imran Khan’s PTI, you have to wash your brain and accept that PTI is a PARTY- NOT an individual. Have you SEEN or spoken to OTHER PTI candidates? After washing your brain, do that. See who the other reps of PTI are.

Are they fauji fuks? Fuedals? Buearocratic leeches? Fundo fuks?

So you heard a rumor his wife is a multi-millionaire. What if she is? In 1998 Imran did a tour of America with Junoon. The cancer hospital requires about 2 million dollars per year to function. He managed to collect 500,000$ in a span of a few days traveling in a hectic tour of US. If his wife is bloated rich, he could easily make countless (I don’t have a calculator with me) times more money sitting home and letting the 100 million $ collect interest!! Why run around repeatedly listening to songs (even though it’s Junoon) day after day and hearing boring lectures from ABCD-mentality Pakistanis telling him how the country should really be run?!?

Let me take time to ask: Ayesha, are you stupid or something?

As for donating for political causes. Yes, people all over the democratic world contribute for political causes. Imran Khan has shown he’s serious about sticking it out (it’s not a simple one go ‘shot at Pakistani politics’). I like the PTI candidate from my constituency. I like most of the others. Yes, you will not have heard of them because spoilt brats like you probably hang around in mansions sipping tea and cuddling up to uncles and aunties and nephews and nieces of the leeches of the establishment of Pakistan. And then when someone pleads for donations on an anti-establishment agenda, you go all gun ho and start this character assisination.

Imran or PTI doesn’t have the onus on them. The people need to show that they want a change. Financially supporting them is one way. Elections in Pakistan like anywhere elseare about money. ads, getting transport to bring in voters etc. I’d say that PTI’s agenda is too ahead of it’s time. Though the establishment is against it, that is not an excuse. However, there are some who do support that agenda. I only gave ten bucks as my political contribution. But I’m proud to know that those may have gone to help him win that Mianwali seat.

Aaria:
‘Typical Pakistan Style dont you guys think? Imran Khan, Bhutto? Whoever it is.. same story..’

Typical ABCD style. Don’t you folks have brains? If not, grow two. Then you can compare PTI with others and see the difference.

Ssdhillon and nawaid:
Good observations. The writer has a personal bias against PTI.
Like Romair says, PTI has stuck to it’s principles. the writer should comment on that. THAT should be her basis for judging PTI’s record. Since it wasn’t this was a total trash article and deserves trashing response.

Typical Pakistan Style dont you guys think? Imran Khan, Bhutto? Whoever it is.. same story.. But lets be realistic here, comparing the political campaigns of the US and Britan to that of Pakistan? Give me a break.. I`ll break you off a piece..

````It is not the critic who counts, not the one who points out how the strong man stumbled or how the doer of deeds might have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred with sweat and dust and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, if he wins, knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.`` (Theodore Roosevelt)

I hope this article has an ulterior motive, i.e. to ensure that status quo politics is maintained in Pakistan. Or that the writer is a PPP or PML supporter, just trying to discredit PTI. Otherwise, this is one of the stupidest articles I have ever read on Chowk.

What is wrong with asking people to contribute money to a political party? It is done in every democratic country. Infact, it is the basic form of financing democratic parties. It should only be ensured that there is good audit of where the money goes and there are limits on the amounts of money.

Asking people honestly for money is better than robbing people of their money, which is what other parties do. Would PTI and Imran Khan be better, if they forced the money out of people in an MQM-like, ``bhatta`` tax. Or would they be better if they did not pay taxes like NS and Shahbaz and used that money. Or if they defaulted on loans from banks and used that money. Or if they got the money like the PPP/PML feudals through the gaddi nashin contributions of the poor people on their lands. Or by slave labor of their peasants.

Imran Khan is one member of a political party. He is not asking for money for himself. The amount of his own personal money and time he has put into the cancer hospital is probably more than 99.99999999999% of Pakistanis have put into any philanthrapic cause in Pakistan (including, I am sure, everyone on Chowk).

The thing I admire about Imran Khan the most, is that he is a doer and not a talker (like the rest of us). He doesn`t go for cheap popularity by becoming a talking, ``activist.`` He actually goes and does something practical. It is one thing to complain that the govt. does not build hospitals and become an activist doing so. It is another to actually go out and build one.

And, so far, his track record indicates that despite doing everything honestly, he has ultimately been successful at everything he put his mind to. That is a rare achievement for most Pakistanis in the public area.

But most of all, it is one thing to complain about Pakistani politics, and lack of leadership. It is another thing to jump into the muck and become a politician and try to solve the problem. And then to lose and lose and lose again, yet still keep going, despite having so many other options available in life. How many people have the guts to do so. Nearly, every politician I know, is in it to benefit his business/protect his lands/become famous etc.

My family and I contribute our time and money to PTI. That is how political parties are supposed to work. It is an indication that PTI is not made up of big time feudals and businessmen who consider politics a business deal.

The status quo politicians of Pakistan are sh//t scared of politicians like Imran Khan and the long term implications of parties like the PTI. I know this for a fact. They even banned his hospital`s ads from TV. He is the only anti-status quo politician who is honest enough and charismatic enough to eventually kick out the mullahs and the feudals etc. And they know it. If he were to join PPP or PML, they would nominate him as their Presidential candidate.

The first step in Pakistani politics is to get a charismatic leader to get his foot in the door of the NA. That has happened. PPP and PML(Q) put up a joint candidate against Imran Khan in Mianwali, even though both parties are enemies. They wanted to keep the status quo alive.

I think in ten years of so, PTI will be a major force in Pakistani politics. Since, it has kept away from bringing into its fold the feudal/mullah/corrupt business leaders, who currently dominate Pakistan. The status quo leaders have no party loyalty and are just in politics for themselves. The maulvi brigade has wiped out many of them. But I think the maulvi brigade will disappoint also. PPP didn`t do anything. PML didn`t do anything. Provincial parties/ethnic parties like the MQM, ANP and Baluchi parties didn`t do anything for Pakistan. The maulvis won`t do much. The Army (other than the Musharraf govt.) didn`t do much either. After that who else will be left? Only PTI - an honest middle to upper middle class party of urban professionals.

The biggest credibility factor in the PTI is that despite having all the chances to comprimise and gain a lot of seats, it has stuck to its principles. And if it needs money and time, I will (and have) definitely contribute.

The future of Pakistan lies in leaders like Imran Khan, Omer Asghar Khan (unfortunately marhoom), Zubeida Jalal types - self-made charismatic progressive well-eduacted leaders, who have spent a great deal of their lives as philanthrapists and aren`t afraid to take on the powerful status quo politicians. They are all doers and not talkers. The last thing us Pakistani should be doing is to bring down people like them. Since their are so few of them around.

Looks like the writer is not a big fan of Imran Khan. There is nothing wrong in asking people for money to run a campaign. Actually it is the best way to generate finances for a campaign.

Why should Imran spend his own money. That will only encourage him to be corrupt to get back the money he spent. Also, collecting money from the public forces him to be more answerable to the people.