Imran Khan Supporters Rally in San Francisco
By Elaine Pasquini
Photos: Phil Pasquini
San Francisco: After almost four years in office, Prime Minister Imran Khan, Pakistan’s iconic star cricketer, succumbed to a no-confidence vote in Parliament on April 10.
Days after his ouster, tens of thousands of his supporters took to the streets of Pakistani cities, and the fiery politician drew thousands to his April 13 rally in Peshawar.
While Khan’s critics cite economic reasons, including double-digit inflation and rising food prices, for their enmity towards the former prime minister, his supporters champion his incorruptibility, in contrast to past leaders mired in corruption allegations.
On April 16, some 100 supporters of Imran and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party rallied outside San Francisco’s City Hall.
Chanting “What do we want? Elections! And when do we want them? Now,” most of the supporters waved Pakistan’s distinctive green flag displaying a five-pointed white star and tilted crescent moon. Many held signs reading: “I Stand With Imran” and “We’re With You Imran Khan.”
Saeed Chaudhary, co-founder of the California PTI, the organizing group of the protest, noted that Pakistanis support a real democratic process in their country, and “it should not be imported or imposed from outside but should be indigenous. It should be locally grown based on the feelings of Pakistanis.
“Let’s send a message that we want elections, and we want a democratic government in Pakistan,” Chaudhary told the crowd, while passersby looked on in interest.
Lahore-born Javaid Sayed, author and professor of political science at City College of San Francisco, shared his views with this reporter prior to addressing the crowd.
“These relationships and news about Pakistan and the United States are so misunderstood by a number of people,” he said. “In South Asia the country that has been most friendly with the United States is Pakistan. From day one, Pakistan has been the number one ally of this great country for a long, long time against all odds.”
While since its inception in 1947 Russia and other countries have been trying hard to be its closest ally, Pakistan preferred the United States for the two countries’ shared value of democracy, among other reasons, the professor stated. And Imran Khan still embraces democracy. “Imran Khan is a very highly educated man, a determined man and a man who believes in his convictions.”
Sayed believes the media and others have misinterpreted some of the former prime minister’s recent comments. Imran Khan is determined “not to be involved in warfare, because Pakistan can’t afford that,” he said, noting Pakistan already suffered some 80,000 causalities due to terrorism during the US’s occupation of Afghanistan.
“Pakistan will help America in all efforts of bringing peace, understanding, amity and some kind of understanding of a working relationship with Afghanistan…”
“I know, as an educator, as a Pakistani American, it is in the best interests of both countries (Pakistan and the USA) to have a good relationship and understanding,” he stated.
Addressing the crowd, Sayed pointed out that going forward the way out of this situation is not the armed forces, or through the judiciary, but “the way out is the strong public opinion of Pakistanis.”
“Pakistan is not alone,” he continued. “It is the gateway to South Asia, and it is the spokesperson for both East and West,” reminding the crowd that when Liaquat Ali Khan, the first prime minister of Pakistan, visited San Francisco in 1950, he told the American lawmakers Pakistan is for democracy.
“So, if there is anything left in Pakistan or in that part of the world at this time, it is Pakistan’s strong popular opinion and elections,” he concluded.
(Elaine Pasquini is a freelance journalist. Her reports appear in the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs and Nuze.Ink.)
