Fresh from a surprisingly successful public rally in Lahore, Pakistani cricketer-turned politician Imran Khan on Monday said the gates for change were open. “There is a shift in public opinion. The gates for change are open now. The change will come,” Mr Khan, who heads the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf, said.
Talking to reporters in Lahore before flying to China, Mr Khan said the “corrupt” PPP and PML(N) have no future role in politics. “We have dealt a blow to the status quo...,” Mr Khan said.
“PTI has torpedoed their tacit partnership, now they will not be able to keep power between themselves,” he added. “Their time is up, our time is now,” said Mr Khan, adding a sweeping revolution is in the making which will dwarf the one of 1970.
Mr Khan said his party had set up a cell to collect the details of politicians’ assets and as soon as they had enough material they would approach the Supreme Court and Election Commission. “We will set an ultimatum for them and then jam all the cities of Pakistan,” he added.
The former Pakistan cricket captain also forecast elections after March 2012. Largely regarded until now as a political lightweight, Imran Khan burst spectacularly onto the national stage in a massive show of force at his Lahore rally on Sunday night as thousands of supporters gathered at the Minar-e-Pakistan to answer his call of “remove the government, save Pakistan”.
Making good on his promise that he would fill the sprawling Minar-e-Pakistan grounds, Mr Khan left little doubt about who rules Lahore. He told the crowd, which reportedly comprised well over 100,000 supporters, most of them youth, that a revolution was around the corner and the government could not stop it. He said he had one complaint to make of the people of Lahore: they took a long time to wake up. “But now that Lahore has risen, we are unstoppable,” said Mr Khan.