A popular but largely powerless politician for years, former cricket star and Tehreek-e Insaf leader Imran Khan has parlayed his long-standing opposition to US drone strikes into a massive rally today on the streets of Lahore, where some 100,000 demonstrators marched to condemn the current US alliance and the Zardari government.
“Our leaders owned this war on terror for the sake of dollars,” Khan declared, “let me curse you. You sold out the blood of innocent people.” The ruling Pakistani Peoples Party (PPP) condemned Khan, saying it made “no sense” to call for public protests and civil disobedience when the country’s “democratic institutions are functioning independently.”
Khan’s call appears to have found some new currency with the Pakistani public, however, and that is something new for his party, whose platform centers around tackling corruption and reducing the power the nation’s security forces have over ordinary citizens.
Khan concedes that in many ways the rally is an effort to build up his party, saying that given the backroom deals and powerful dynasties inherent in the Pakistani political system the Tehreek-e Insaf was “never going to win the traditional way.”
But with US missiles falling on Pakistani soil on almost a daily basis, the Tehreek-e Insaf has a built-in issue that resonates across much of the nation, and while both the ruling Zardari government and the major opposition faction of Nawaz Sharif have given lip-service to calling for an end to US drone strikes, neither seems to be willing to force the issue with the Obama Administration, unsurprising since Pakistan’s current economic system depends largely on foreign aid.
The question then becomes not if the PPP has lost the voters, but how long they can hold on to power without them. The Zardari government has repeatedly resisted calls for early elections in the past, and seems to be hoping to hold out until 2013. Even the Sharif brothers’ PML-N has called for an early vote, but it is unclear if they will back it up with votes if Khan’s popularity might cut into their traditional conservative power base.
Looks like their democracy need some strengthening, where is that musharraf when you need him.
It won't matter. What do you think has more influence on the Pakistani government, 100,000 Pakistanis protesting or millions in US foriegn aid? Until they refuse the US bribe they can't really have any control over their own country but will remain a colony of the CIA.
" It [makes] “no sense” to call for public protests and civil disobedience when the country’s “democratic institutions are functioning independently"
Doesn't the PPP [Zadari??] mean "dependently"….. Dependant on selling the lives of THEIR OWN citizens to the American Neocon Drone death machine …….for lucrative personal BRIBES,,,,, "help" with campaign "expenses" and the FLOATING of Pakistan's enormous fiscal DEBTs and the bloated military appropriations and staffing….
Imran Khan is their best [only] hope…. Who else is there…?????
PPP. means looting the country and employment exchange for their workers and as usual Zardari is busy to collect money and I am after 10 years they will come back as victim but the problem will be whom to kill as there is no figure in the party like Benasir Bhutto.
Pakistan is destroyed by Musharraf and PPP alliance and their people killed for Neocone war. I don,t when the americans will wake and say no to war politics.
Pakistan is just another country that America has turned into a whore – doing favors for money. The love of money is the root of all evil – according to the Bible but who in America believes it anymore?
America fools people into beliving its a real democracy even on this site they bloke freedom of speech.The government that send American and other countrys citizens to die in illegal wars for the military industrial complex and others all for the mighty dollar.This sickens me expecially when free speach is discarded like a crime when its about illegal wars why there conducted and the fact that they are all baised on lies.