Of Triumph, Policy And Hope.

At the Jinnah Convention Centre in Islamabad, Imran Khan celebrated the 23rd anniversary of the founding of his party, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI). To commemorate the twenty-three-year struggle of his party, which rose in popularity arguably due to a grassroots movement, the Prime Minister made a lengthy speech about his and the party's personal efforts throughout the years, and on the one year that his party had heading the Federal Government.

One could argue that one year in Federal Government amasses more importance than twenty-two years as a minority political party. This speech by Imran Khan stands out being his first anniversary speech since taking the oath of the Prime Ministerial office. In that context, there ought to be a markedly different tone to it- this is no longer a commemorative speech by a minority leader highlighting the superiority of their party over the governing one. Rather, as an address of the Prime Minister at his party's foundation day, the speech should have been one of triumph, yes, but also of statesmanship, of policy and of hope.

Unfortunately, old habits die hard, and Prime Minister Khan's speech was not so different from his greatest hits from previous rallies. The Prime Minister recollected how he had everything a person can have but he gave it up to serve his country. Where Mr Khan appeared to touch on economics, the most pivotal factor in approval...

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