Shahbaz Gill Speaks at PTI Event in Sacramento
By Ras H. Siddiqui
Supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Sacramento, California and nearby cities, hosted party leader Shahbaz Gill, Chief of Staff of former Prime Minister Imran Khan at a private gathering in California’s Capital City on Sunday, April 30, 2023.
Gill has also been an Assistant Professor of Business Administration at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and is quite familiar with America. This was his first visit to this area as a PTI representative that we are aware of, and he should have felt right at home because he is originally from Faisalabad, Pakistan and Sacramento has possibly the largest concentration of Pakistanis from Faisalabad in the United States.
But that said, amongst the 100 or so people present at this event, Pakistan’s diversity was adequately represented. PTI is a national party so this should not come as a surprise.
The event started about an hour or so late and by the time Shahbaz Gill reached the venue, people were already tired, and the hosts were doing their best. Even those looking for a cup of tea were disappointed because there was none. But as event emcee Waqar Rizvi (who did a great job here) said to start the program, we are all here for Pakistan, and from then onwards the mood changed for the better.
Asad Ali started the formalities with a recitation from the Holy Qur’an along with an English translation of the verses.
The first person invited to speak was Ushna-Asif-Sattar, a young lady who is interested in joining the legal profession. Ushna gave an inspiring talk on the importance of the “Rule of Law” in the success of any society. She attributed the presence of a strong and established legal system in America as playing a pivotal role in its success. Ushna lamented the lack of this important element in Pakistan, which she said contributed to continued lawlessness, human rights violations, lack of a level playing field, and societal decline there.
Next up PTI’s Javaid Akhtar was in his element as he delivered a strong speech in Urdu with an inclusion of Punjabi and Seraiki. Javaid said that corrupt people create issues all over the world, and echoing the earlier speaker he added that we should be happy that we have the rule of law here in America. He did not mince any words on the current situation in Pakistan and how the common man is getting crushed there. Javaid ended his speech on a poetic note.
The evening keynote by Shahbaz Gill was well received. He started off by apologizing for being late and said that he knows how important Sunday evenings are for us here in America and thanked everyone for being patient and attending this event. He added that Pakistanis in America know the importance of rule of law. He said that the American Dream stands on it and other factors including hard work, honesty and a fair justice system which levels the playing field. He added that in Pakistan these factors are not stressed enough, but what has been happening for the past 70 years has finally been exposed. He said that current upward climbing in Pakistan is by corruption. The elite there does not want criticism and protects their interests due to which Pakistan is losing its global competitiveness.
Gill said that the PTI under Imran Khan’s leadership had pursued people- (Awam) centric policies. He gave an example of their party leader’s decisions during the COVID pandemic to not shut down the economy despite pressure from various power centers. This was done because it would otherwise impact the lives of poor people, those who need to work daily just to survive. Imran Khan protected the poor of Pakistan, he said. His policy on keeping Pakistanis working during the crisis won him accolades globally as Pakistan fared better than many other countries during the pandemic. He also pointed out the introduction of the “Health Card” put in place by the PTI government, which was a major step in protecting the wellbeing of the common man in the country.
On the PTI leader Imran Khan he said that the FIR’s against him are a mockery. And other steps taken including the attack on his house are condemnable. He added that innocent people (PTI workers and sympathizers) are being picked up and held. Gill said that the message to overseas Pakistanis who care about the country and want what is good for Pakistan is to speak up. Support human rights and the rule of law in Pakistan, he said. He also mentioned the recent letter of US Congressman Brad Sherman on this subject and our need to engage with local representatives to highlight these issues. Gill added that the role of overseas Pakistanis has always been important to the PTI. He ended his speech with “Imran Khan Zindabad, Pakistan Paindabad,” and received quite an ovation.
After a break for prayers, a short question-and-answer session preceded dinner. One wished that the attendees would have asked direct questions on issues instead of offering long winded personal opinions, but that was not to be. Shahbaz Gill did state that there was no magic wand to turn things around immediately and that it would take 25 to 30 years to remedy all that is wrong in Pakistan if correct decisions are made now.
To conclude, let us revisit what emcee Waqar Rizvi mentioned at the start of this event. It is about Pakistan, and us overseas Pakistani Americans share a common concern for the welfare of the people we left behind there. It is about caring and not just about party politics. One can support whoever we like. But one must admit that the Overseas PTI is currently the most active political group here in America. Plus, it is certainly bringing up the right issues.
