Dancing to a drumbeat and waving the party's red and green flags, supporters of the Tehreek-e-Insaaf filled the sprawling Minar-e-Pakistan ground which was ringed with tight security. "Who will save Pakistan? Imran Khan, Imran Khan," the crowd chanted. About 150k people had gathered as the meeting began at 4pm with more on the way, according to witnesses, as the crowd waited for a scheduled appearance by their hero.
Imran Khan's party slogan is "throw this government out and save the country," in a campaign aimed at the ruling coalition led by Zardari and the party of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. Imran, who guided Pakistan to a World Cup win in 1992, brims with confidence that he can solve Pakistan's myriad and devastating problems. But his party has no seats in the parliament and it is criticised for lacking grassroots support and the infrastructure needed to win an election.
The rally, seen as a show of strength, comes two days after Nawaz Sharif's brother Shahbaz Sharif, attracted some 30,000 people at an anti-Zardari protest also in the key political battleground of Lahore. The Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) held a demonstration on Friday to demand early elections in its political heartland -- it controls the Punjab provincial government despite being in opposition at national level.
The venue for Imran Khan's public meeting was bedecked with banners and hoardings showing portraits of the former cricketer and the founder of the nation Muhammad Ali Jinnah. He was due to a peak later. Earlier, Tehreek-e-Insaf Secretary General Arif Ali said Imran Khan will make important announcements regarding the country's politics and future course of action.
"The wind of change of has started in the country and anyone coming in its way would be eliminated," Alvi said and added Tehreek-e-Insaaf wants the rule of people constitution and law in the country. "It is going to be historic. We have our supporters and voters coming from Lahore and its suburban areas and the expected gathering would be over 100,000 people," Malik Zaheer Abbas Khokhar, a member of the party's organising committee said.
Lahore, with a population of eight million, is second-biggest city and the capital of the most populous province Punjab, which commands the greatest number of seats in the national assembly or lower house of parliament. That makes it bitterly contested territory where opposition leaders are targeting President Zardari. They are looking to exploit disillusionment with the ruling PPP which swept to power in February 2008, two months former prime minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated.
The party had expressed some concerns about inadequate security arrangements and blocking of the convoys coming from other cities. "We have been reassured by the provincial police chief about the security of the gathering and smooth flow of traffic for our convoys," Khokhar told AFP. Senior police official Ghulam Mahmood Dogar told reporters that all steps had been taken to provide "fool-proof" security at the public meeting.
