Chairman Imran Khan promises
1. I will tell the truth. What I can do I will, what I can't I won't.
2. I won't waste money & I will spend it all on you (Pakistan)
3. I won't take advantage of my position.
4. I will bring Pakistan Respect
5. I will make the economy so good people will come from abroad to find jobs here
Views on Drones:
[ From: Imran Khan (official) exclusive interview with the Economist Magazine.]
Imran Khan on Pakistan...
At 4 minutes and 30 seconds Imran Khan points out that...
"If people in Britain, for instance know exactly what these drones are doing I reckon they'll be bigger demonstrations here than in our own country. Because these are violations of all Humanitarian laws.
On some information, which might or might not be correct, someone sitting thousands of miles away... presses a button and people are blown up! Houses are blown up in villages. They hit houses in the villages. People gather around and come to rescue the survivors minus limbs, another drone attack kills 7 people, killing the survivors, for another hour no one goes near the site, there are screams of the survivors... again people come to rescue them, ANOTHER drone attack and another 7 people are killed - 22 people are killed in this!
I don't know who is the brain power behind this...
Number 1: It is immoral
Number 2: It is completely counterproductive. All it does is it creats Anti-Americanism which is now worse than ever in our history.
You win the war on terror if you win the hearts and minds of the people"
Interviewer Question: Do the drone attack lead you to be Anti-American
Answer: I can't be Anti-American cause I realize that the majority of Americans would agree with me! Majority people in Britain are anti war. I'm anti THIS policy. Jimmy Carter critisized these drones attacks."
Pakistani cricketer turned politician Imran Khan said Wednesday he hoped President Barack Obama would “give peace a chance” and stop US drone attacks now that he has been re-elected.
Khan, leader of the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf party (PTI), has campaigned for an end to US drone strikes against suspected Taliban and al Qaeda militants in Pakistan’s tribal areas, saying they result in civilian casualties.
“What Pakistan would be hoping for is a de-escalation of violence now in Afghanistan and the drone attacks in Pakistan’s tribal areas,” he told reporters where he was attending the India World Economic Forum.
Khan said that Obama’s first term in office had been “very tough on Pakistan – an increase in drone attacks and a surge in Afghanistan and increased militancy in Pakistan as a result.”
“Now he (Obama) is no longer under the pressure to be re-elected we hope that he will give peace a chance which we so desperately need,” he said.
Khan argues that drone strikes are illegal and counterproductive and last month led thousands of supporters – and some US peace activists – on a march to the edge of Pakistan’s restive tribal districts to protest against them.
The Pakistani politician said he wanted Obama to call a ceasefire in Afghanistan, saying that if Americans do not “get it right it is conceivable that they will leave it in a bigger mess than they found it.”
The White House has said that Washington will gradually hand over security responsibility to the Afghans and eventually withdraw US troops. The US-led Nato force plans to pull out its 100,000 troops by the end of 2014.
Islamist militants have killed thousands of people in Pakistan since 2007, and US officials say the drone strikes are a key weapon in the war on terror.
But peace campaigners condemn them as a breach of international law.
Pakistanis call them a violation of sovereignty that breeds extremism, and politicians including Khan say the government is complicit in killing its own people.
Casualty figures are difficult to obtain, but a report commissioned by legal lobby group Reprieve estimated last month that 474 to 881 civilians were among 2,562 to 3,325 people killed by drones in Pakistan between June 2004 and September 2012.
For more special coverage on the US Elections including exclusive blogs, features, comments, analysis and multimedia from correspondents around the world, go to: US Elections 2012 In-depth
Drones radicalizing western Muslims, says Imran Khan...
LONDON: Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf (PTI) leader Imran Khan has warned America and its western allies that drone attacks on Pakistan are radicalising the western Muslims, creating hatred and animosity.
The former cricket hero was speaking to hundreds of Pakistani students at King’s College London on Monday night.
He said the drone policy adopted by the western countries was senseless and was serving no purpose at home or abroad. He gave example of Faisal Shehzad, who was trialled and convicted in the USA. Khan said when asked by the trial judge, if he knew he could have ended up killing innocent women and children, replied that the USA is doing the same, with their drone attacks.
Khan told students that they should utilise their efforts to help bring change in Pakistan and presented himself as the leader who could make real change.
He criticised Pakistani politicians - including Asif Ali Zardari, Shahbaz Sharif and Altaf Hussain – for spending millions on their security, having barricaded themselves in fortresses from their people, using bullet-proof cars and living an elitist lifestyle.
He said the true leadership is never scared of speaking the truth and commands the respect of people for doing so. “The leaders have the ability to make big decisions and see beyond their selfishness, they are not cowards and don’t fear sacrifices. The current crop status-quo lacks that.”
Answering questions of students, Khan said that the police could control situation in Karachi but their hands were tied due to the “complete politicisation” of the force.
“They (the politicians) have destroyed the police through politicising and today its full of criminals. Political parties in the ruling coalition have militant wings. If we are elected, we will impose governor rule and a new system will be introduced. There is a slavery of fear in the city of 15 million people who are hostage to about 30 thousand mafia criminals. Kidnapping for ransom is the biggest trade in the city,” Khan said.
Khan said his party was introducing democracy at all levels of the party and ordinary members will decide who will lead the party. He told students that he will give more than 25 percent tickets to the youth in next general election and this was a proof enough that his party wanted youth to represent Pakistan.
He said after coming to power, he will bulldoze all the palatial government building reserved for politicians and will turn them into sports complexes and public libraries.
Talking about the forthcoming elections next Spring, he stated that his prediction is that PTI will not win, but it will sweep the elections.
He was also questioned about innocent people in Pakistani prisons and said he sympathised with them, as he himself was imprisoned. He stated that 50-60% of Pakistani inmates are believed to be innocent and said: “When I was in prison, I saw no big criminals, yet when I sat in Assembly I saw plenty of big criminals!”
One US Politician On The O'Reilly Show on National Security and Terrorism (who agrees with Imran Khan's basic premise that these tactics increases terrorism... there is also history that proves this)...
Mind blowing: Islamic radicals attacked on 9/11 for having military bases in the Holy Land NOT for the United States people's 'freedom'. This is true. the stated reason by Al-Qaeda for attacking the United States is the military bases in the Holy Land (Saudi Arabia) and the support of tyraniccal regimes in the middle east. With the Arab Spring one reason is beginning to dissolve the other reason would dissolve with Ron Paul's Presidency as he would remove all bases saving a ton of money and there would be non of the nonsense that Al-Qaeda is attacking America's because of their 'freedom' or 'way of life' - that never was, and still isn't, a stated purpose of the terrorists. It was a Bush Administration slogan, which was incorrect as many other statements (see above)
Every normal analysis begins with the knowledge of America's history in the middle east and actual grieviences about ACTIONS taken in the middle eastern countries... this is the source of terrorism as Ron Paul obviously realizes (or he has done some general reading on the topic over the years)...
The United States has been susceptible to internationalterrorism primarily because of its engagement on the worldscene and its choice of allies. Extremist groups in countriesaround the world have targeted United States interests in aneffort to achieve radical political change at home. TheUnited States military presence, whether in assisting localregimes or in peacemaking exercises, attracted terrorism,but so too did diplomatic and cultural institutions. (extract from page 7 - conclusion)
(Note: Ron Paul also makes a comparison of how it would feel if China invaded US - a method even professionals use to encourage empathy and understanding)
Clarification of Ron Paul's Foreign Policy Position
Ron Paul believes in non-interventionism NOT isolationism. In other words, Ron Paul's positions on dealing with other countries is primarily about diplomacy and only going to war when attacked but NEVER getting involved in nation building.
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