Islamabad: Chairman of the winning party of July 25 elections, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan on the eve of Independence Day posted a rare picture on his Twitter account in which the Founder of Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah is shown sitting at the same table that is shared by his family elders.
Imran Khan’s uncle Dr Jahangir Khan and his mother’s uncle Zaman Khan can be seen in that picture. Lahore’s residential area Zaman Park is named after Mr Zaman Khan.
The picture is a historic one as it was taken at a time when Jinnah visited London to attend the first Round Table Conference of 1932.
Imran Khan also posted a message along with the picture: “On this Independence Day I am filled with the greatest optimism. Despite our grave economic crises, due to corruption & cronyism, I know if we are united in our resolve, we will rise to the challenge & Pak will become the great nation envisaged by our Quaid & Iqbal.”
Imran Khan’s election as Prime Minister of Pakistan is now a matter of days. Earlier he had urged the nation to celebrate Independence Day with full verve and passion as according to him it was going to be the beginning of a new Pakistan.
Whether it was because of Imran Khan’s call or the youths’ obsession to celebrate the 71st Independence Day, the nation responded overwhelmingly and celebrated the day by spending the night of 14 August on the roads in major cities. Youngsters came out on bicycles, motorbikes, roofless vehicles and played and danced on roads. On Islamabad’s main Jinnah Avenue traffic moved at snail’s pace and youth from Peshawar, Lahore, Karachi and Quetta besides Islamabad, and Pindi boys and girls celebrated the Jashn-e-Azadi (Freedom Festival).
Surprisingly the songs played were more of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party songs rather than the conventional patriotic songs.
When asked why he was playing PTI songs instead of Pakistan’s patriotic songs, Shakil, a boy who hails from Sialkot, said for him there was no difference between PTI songs and the patriotic songs of Pakistan. “We under the leadership of Imran Khan have made a pledge to make the country a new Pakistan and in our party songs, the same feeling is reflected,” he said.
The revelries and festivities continued till late and buildings and plazas were illuminated with green and white lights, the colours of the Pakistani flag.
