Pakistan's Changing Political Landscape: The Triumph of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

Founded in 1996 by Chairman Imran Khan, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) emerged as a sociopolitical movement stimulated by the slogan 'justice, humanity and self-reliance.' With a visionary leader and consolidated structure, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has now become the country's largest political party and has successfully altered the weak political system shaped by the long-term monopoly fashioned by the traditional opportunistic politics of two major political parties. Even though Quaid's vision indicated the country to be a democracy, the political arena was dominated by military rule for almost three decades. Alongside this, two dynastic political parties inculcated the two-party system. An apparent tug of war began between the two, so much so that when one was in majority in the Parliament, the other slung mud at their character and vice versa, but there were instances when both parties stood together for a common notorious political aim. The spell finally broke when a third party gained momentum. The early years were a struggle to keep the party alive, and the party faced initial failures in the elections primarily due to completely inexperienced election candidates of PTI with clean careers and no patronage. Later in the 2002 elections, despite the might of General Musharraf's election machinery designed to rig the election in favour of his preselected politicians, PTI won one National Assembly seat and one seat in the then NWFP Provincial Assembly. Meanwhile, the leader maintained his criticism of corruption and economic inequality in Pakistan, as well as his opposition to the Pakistani government's cooperation in the socalled War on Terrorism of the US. In protest of General Musharraf's declaration of a state of emergency, his nomination for president, and the NRO to PPP and PML-N, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf boycotted the 2008 elections. Despite its electoral struggles, the party gained support, especially among the youth, and in the years leading to the 2013 elections, the PTI drew large crowds at rallies and attracted the support of several veteran political figures of Pakistan. On October 30, 2011, PTI drew a crowd of 100,000 in a rally in Lahore, which gained notoriety as a political 'tsunami.' In a relatively nascent state, PTI formed government in KP in 2013 and within a span of five years, not only retained its provincial government but also formed a government at the centre and in Punjab in the 2018 elections. The...