Dubai: Pakistani expatriates in the UAE are pleasantly surprised over the victory of Imran Khan in the general elections.
They believe that it will change the fate of Pakistan as new leadership has emerged in the country. As Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan is poised to become the next prime minister of Pakistan, expatriates told Gulf News that they pinned their hopes on the new leader expecting him to introduce revolutionary reforms to drive the country on the path of development.
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Gulf News spoke to a cross section of Pakistanis living in the UAE:
Dr Atiq Naqvi, a Dubai resident, said: “The change, which Imran has been talking, has finally come. I pray that our political leaders show some courage and accept the outcome of the elections, as well as try their best to contribute to the well being of our country. He also congratulated Imran Khan on the victory and expected him to take along all the players and work for the good of the country.
Dr Ikramullah Nasir, a Dubai based resident, said: “Imran’s win is the best thing to happen in Pakistan. I am one of those who know Imran for more than 30 years and who had consistently insisted him to step into the political arena as the nation desperately needed a leader of his stature to stare it out of the hundreds of socio-economical and socio-political issues domestically,” he said.
“We must not waste this historic opportunity to transform Pakistan under the slogan of ‘Naya (new) Pakistan and Imran must come forward as a visionary national leader to serve every citizen of the country without any personal bias or political prejudice,” he said.
Malik Irfan, a Sharjah resident, said: “Imran is going to have tough ride as he has promised a lot to bring ‘change’ in Pakistan. He will have to perform if he wants to survive in the government otherwise now more politically aware people of Pakistan will not spare him and he may end up facing wrath of people.”
Naveed Younus, a Sharjah based businessman, said: “Imran will have to focus on building dams to overcome energy and water crisis in the country. We expect him perform well to meet voters’ expectations for a business friendly environment with more job opportunities for the youth.”
