By turning up in hordes at the Minar-i-Pakistan in the past week, Lahorites (and a number of people from adjoining cities) honoured Imran Khan’s rallying cry for a change. Despite many lamentations of his political rivals and detractors, there was an unmistakable scent of hope in the air during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s show of strength. Many participants described the event as the beginning of a new chapter in the political history of Pakistan.

“This is not a flood, this is a tsunami. Anyone up against it will be swept away,” an emotional Imran told the crowd which, according to some eyewitnesses, spilled onto the roads around the venue. There was a joyous eruption, a heart-warming flutter of flags, reminiscent of the sight of crowds standing behind a young Imran in cricket fields around the world. Even greater was the number of those who remained glued to their television sets.

Whatever his critics may say, the unexpected turnout at the PTI gathering was a wake-up call for the tried and tested players in the field. It was this message that the young and the old put across to the elected representatives who should be gracious enough to acknowledge the public sentiment.

What kind of change do the young followers expect their leader to bring about? Will the public vote of confidence for the “manifesto of change” translate into an enduring political gain? These and many more questions have come to dominate the public discourse in recent days, an indication of growing political consciousness among the young educated Pakistanis. It is the young blood, a product of demographic dividend, which looks up to their star of yesteryears to replicate his innings of character in the political field.

The price of greatness is responsibility which, together with the burden of the youth’s dream and high hopes, poses the greatest challenge to Imran Khan in his political role. Disillusioned by the machinations of hardened politicians whose lust for power and means to perpetuate it are scandalous, they expect the PTI to give a new meaning to politics and revive their faith in the system of governance.

The electorate also demands deliverance from squalid conditions and other ills plaguing society. The promise of a free judiciary, an educated and enlightened society and corruption-free rule are undoubtedly noble ideals but their attainment requires a fresh beginning – the will to obliterate the nation’s history of compromises and tainted past.

That the PTI manifesto, much like other political documents, is full of rhetoric is evident from these lines. “The PTI is not merely a political party; it is a broad based movement that embraces the interests of all Pakistanis. A people whose cultural and ethnic diversities blend into common goals and aspirations for a just society based on a democratic culture and the rule of law,” It also lays emphasis on promotion of democracy, an “Education Revolution to promote universal literacy and raise the standard of education in our schools, colleges and universities” and improvement in health facilities for the ordinary people.

The PTI’s future will largely be determined by its willingness to transform these words into action and redeem the pledge it made to the public on the eventful Oct 30 evening. — Muhammad Salman Khan