Tehrik-i-Insaf
Tehrik-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan initially supported General Musharraf, when pro-government parties joined hands to form the National Alliance, Imran Khan did not join it. Soon after, he leveled charges of pre-poll rigging against the government, with Tariq Aziz, Principal Secretary to General Musharraf, the main target as the mastermind behind pre-poll rigging in the Punjab.
In 1997, Imran Khan lost the elections from Mianwali. This time around, however, his chances appeared bright till the Chaudhrys [now members of the PML (Q)] started supporting Imran Khan's opponent, Ubaidullah Shadi Khel. Imran Khan unleashed a vitriolic campaign against Chaudhry Shujaat Husain and Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, alleging the two leaders had got their loans written off and were therefore ineligible to contest elections. The Chaudhrys soon retaliated and accused Imran Khan of using charity for Shaukat Khanum Hospital and Jewish money for his politics.
Tehrik-i-Insaf has adopted a multi-pronged strategy which must appeal to the all classes of people. Imran Khan disagrees with Musharraf’s Afghanistan and Kashmir policies, and attacks President Bush and his government as ‘fascists’, expecting the voters to be attracted to that, although he can’t outdo MMA in this strategy. He makes an elaborate case for the clean-up of the judiciary and links it to foreign investment, which must appeal to the business class, but his attack on the IMF, while appealing to the common man, may scare away the industrialists. Imran Khan has blown the whistle on General Musharraf’s pre-poll rigging and named names, which may enhance his image as a clean man. Though Imran Khan may win his seat from Mianwali, his party seems to have little support base to win a national seat. However, his party's candidates are likely to secure more votes than what they got in the previous elections.
