PESHAWAR: Politicians speaking to students on the campus is an idea many academicians might not approve of, but Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan impressed the audience with his interesting lecture on the topic of ‘leadership’ at University of Peshawar on Thursday afternoon.

His lecture was a mix of personal views and knowledge from history books and personalities he admired.

The students waited almost for an hour quite patiently but when Imran Khan arrived, spoke and left, he received a standing ovation. He got a lot of cheers when he finished telling the secrets of how to become a good leader to the students. He paused and filled the spaces during his lecture with personal accounts and feelings he experienced during the 20-year political career.

The lecture, which lasted more than an hour, was full of examples from Islamic history and recent sub-continent events and personalities , Quaid’s struggle for Pakistan and Iqbal’s philosophy but he turned poetic when he said that leaders were the ones ‘who took the road less travelled by’.

However, Imran Khan did not budge from giving example of two warriors, Genghiz Khan and Taimurlane, who never rested and died old but still going after bigger challenge after every victory till the very end.

A noble cause of collective good and dreaming big was all that took a man from ordinary background and abilities to reach the heights of becoming a great leader, said Mr Khan.

PTI chief terms noble cause of collective good and dreaming big essential for leadership

He said that those, who searched for a purpose in life, had faith in it and tried to make difference in peoples’ life, feared nothing, compromised on nothing and continued to struggle no matter how much others discouraged, became leaders.

Mr Khan said that it was saddening that Pakistan lacked good leaders. He acknowledged that his generation had failed but young generation was hope of the country.

He could not help giving references here and there during his speech to the PML-N government and ‘dirty politics’. He said that his five-month old party was approached by PML-N to join it, however, he refused. He said that he joined politics to eliminate corruption from Pakistan and ensure justice.

“That was what I and my party PTI stood for. If I had joined PPP or PML-N then it would have been my end,” said Mr Khan.

Earlier, Vice-chancellor Dr Rasul Jan welcomed Imran Khan to the University of Peshawar and even praised PTI government for not politically interfering in the varsities matters. He hoped that PTI government would allocate more funds for scholarships and research to the universities.

Some of the teachers, who attended the lecture, thought that Imran’s speech was no comparison to what PPP late leader Benazir Bhutto spoke during a convocation at UoP years ago. They also resented the fact that Imran Khan presented Genghiz Khan and Taimulane as models to the students but forgot to mention struggle of Frontier Gandhi Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan.

Ziaur Rehman Afridi, a student of UoP, thought it inappropriate that students were not allowed to take part in politics and form student unions on the campus but leader of a political party was allowed to speak to the students on the campus. It could let other politicians to head to campuses to propagate their political agenda, he said.

Haseena, a student from Chitral, however, was overjoyed that her dream of seeing her favourite leader Imran Khan finally came true.

After enchanting student at UoP with his lecture, Imran Khan headed to visit the Gor Khathree, a historical archaeological site of Peshawar city.

He was accompanied by Additional Chief Secretary Azam Khan and Archaeology and Museums Director Dr Abdul Samad. The officials briefed him about the projects being executed to conserve and propagate the site for its promotion for tourism.

Imran Khan wanted the area from Gor Khathree to Ghanta Ghar in the Peshawar Walled City to be preserved and developed as tourist pedestrian area.

During his visit, the PTI activists created a rumpus but before Imran Khan could leave the spot he was informed about measures taken to preserve the archaeological site like a shed over archaeological trench for diorama, conservation of fire brigade building, rehabilitation of city museum, establishing of Peshawar exhibition gallery, artisan village, establishment of HRD centre, IT centre, tourist info centre, project approval of Peshawar Walled City and conservation work on western gate.

Published in Dawn, February 26th, 2016