An open letter to Imran Khan

We don’t want to be the generation that becomes habituated to corruption, persecution and slavery.

Marium Rasheed August 10, 2014
Respected Sir,

Of all the leaders in the Pakistan today, we see you as having one thing in common with Quaid-e-Azam; purity in intention. We don’t want Quaid-e-Azam’s image to be a mere wall hanging, but a symbol of the true ‘Azadi’ that he and our ancestors strived for.

The freedom they intended to gain encompasses all that we Pakistanis need today. And this is enough for us to believe, once again, in faith, discipline and unity; the three roads that together will not only lead to the rebirth of a country, but a nation: Pakistan.

The Quaid did not overrule his decisions based on the overpowering suggestions of his companions. He followed his vision and this made a large number of people support him blindly. He led and they followed. We believe that you have the vision needed to accomplish the goal of building a nation. We need you to implement it in its true sense and not be vulnerable to mischievous ideas from anywhere; for the level to which our hope has risen, we as individuals cannot risk a fall.

A leader is one who doesn’t make popular decisions but whose decisions become popular. Many commentators were against your decision of changing the batting order in the final of the 1992 cricket World Cup, but you did it nonetheless. Had you not stood by your decision, things would have been different. I feel you are just what we need: a leader who has no ulterior motives, whose sons are most likely not going to be in politics and who is not simply paving the way for another dynastic power.

We as Muslims believe in the appearance of dajjal and how he will not be resisted.  We don’t want to be a part of those who stop resisting and become accustomed to accept things just as they are. We don’t want to be the generation that becomes habituated to corruption, persecution and slavery, the way our elders have. We want change. We need change.

We want you to set an example showing that one does not need to go down to the level of the corrupted in order to fix them. We want a common man, a cricket icon, a sensitive son who dedicated a hospital to his mother, to be our prime minister and give us hope. Hope that one day we can be a part of the government system to fix what has been damaged and solder the pieces to build a nation that is, in the true sense, the face of Islam, and a safe-haven for all minorities.

Pakistan is the global Islamic centre so you will have to face resistance from entities within and outside the country, for Pakistan’s prosperity will lead to the well-being of all Muslims around the globe. However, now that you have chosen to bring change, you have a responsibility to do so. It is the duty of all the leaders who are standing by your side to prevent you from falling into a trap.

We want you to give us a reason to stay in our motherland and not be a part of the brain-drain, to strive for its well-being and to look up to someone like you, our leader. We want Pakistan to benefit from our achievements. We know why to believe in you, but we want you to stay steadfast with your demands at every step and explain to us why you, Imran Khan, are the right man for the job.

The unavailability of social justice is one of the leading problems of our struggling nation. All those who have ruled over us have been inclined towards bringing superficial development, one that assists their election campaigns. We lack leadership that willingly works for the betterment of the people, and does not focus on maintaining the wealth of the leading rich families. We want health, education and our security to be the top priorities.

You have been a symbol of a positive ideological struggle. The consistency in your struggle is what makes you different from all the present day Pakistani leaders. We are showing our support by believing in you, because we see in you an element that we know Quaid-e-Azam had: commitment. It is now your responsibility to not let us down for now. You know what and who is at stake and how many rekindled lights of hope you will blow out if you fail to stand up for what you have made us believe in.

This letter has been addressed to you at a time when we believe you have the chance to bring change.

A committed member of the youth,

Marium Rasheed
WRITTEN BY:
Marium Rasheed An undergraduate student at LUMS, pursuing a degree in Electrical Engineering. She is interested in researching on Pakistan’s political and social crisis.
The views expressed by the writer and the reader comments do not necassarily reflect the views and policies of the Express Tribune.

COMMENTS (73)

hamza | 9 years ago | Reply v good article and dnt care wht haters comment cause they hav some real problms otherwise they wont be paid 500 rupees ;p awsum article (Y)
Hameedullah | 9 years ago | Reply ".......solder the pieces to build a nation that is, in the true sense, the face of Islam, and a safe-haven for all minorities." ".......Pakistan’s prosperity will lead to the well-being of all Muslims around the globe." How? Most muslims around the globe are already in much better shape than Pakistanis. Will you please care to elaborate
VIEW MORE COMMENTS
Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ