BATKHELA: Chief of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan said on Monday he and his party would lay the ‘foundation stone of a new Pakistan’ on May 11 and urged “every patriotic Pakistani to play his role for bringing about this change”.

Addressing an election rally in the Darqai area during a visit to Malakand, he pledged to make Pakistan a model Islamic welfare state whose citizens would be respected across the world.

The election, he said, was a contest between ‘Junoon (passion) and money’.

Severely criticising the PML-N and PPP, he said (President Asif) Zardari and (PML-N chief) Nawaz (Sharif) were two sides of the same coin. “They are brothers but are opposing each other to deceive the masses.”

Urging the nation to vote for the PTI to “get rid of Zardaris and Sharifs”, he said gone were the days when the PML-N and PPP took turns to rule the country. “The black era of fake tigers is over because the people have awakened from deep slumber.”

The day is not far off when plunderers of national wealth will be taken to task. Corrupt rulers will be held accountable and looted wealth will be recovered and used for people’s welfare if the PTI comes to power.

Spelling out his party’s priorities, he said it would introduce a system based on merit and justice and end the “culture of favouritism and easy load”.

He said price hike, unemployment and lawlessness had paralysed the nation. “Steps will be taken on war footing to take the masses out of the prevailing situation and put them on the path of progress and prosperity.”

He said successive governments had mortgaged the motherland to the US and made the nation its slave but the PTI would break the shackles of slavery and make Pakistan stand on its own feet.

He said future belonged to the youth who could bring about a real change and urged them to spread the PTI message for a ‘new Pakistan’ and also convince their parents and other members of their family to vote for its candidates.

Mr Khan said 80 per cent of PTI candidates were young and educated people who could transform Pakistan into a developed and prosperous country.

Syed Zahid Jan adds from Vari (Upper Dir): Addressing a huge rally here, Mr Khan said his party would end dynastic politics.

Instead of offspring of political leaders, the PTI would provide an opportunity to common youths to play their role, he said.

“The party will transform Pakistan into a state where an ordinary man could become prime minister and rich and poor people would receive equal treatment.”