PTI Ajk

began to grow slowly but did not achieve immediate popularity. Khan launched PTI as a party which he claimed represented the true aspirations of the people of Pakistan. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's constitution was approved on 24 January 1999 by the Central Executive Committee in Lahore. In October 2002, Khan ran for office in the National Elections and became a member of parliament (MP) for Mianwali, his home town. Khan, however, remained deeply critical of the entire political order of Pakistan, which he deemed corrupt, inefficient, and morally bereft of any of the founding principles of Pakistan. In protest, Khan began a grassroots campaign to raise awareness about his political party. After Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in 2007 and Nawaz Sharif returned from self-exile in Saudi Arabia, pressure increased upon President Musharraf to hold democratic elections. PTI, in conjunction with many political parties, joined the All Parties Democratic Movement, which was opposed to further military rule. This election was boycotted by PTI. During the Asif Ali Zardari's presidency, Imran Khan's popularity soared amid discontent with the ruling administration's domestic and foreign policy. PTI's basic appeal is its credentials as a populist party. PTI has promised to create a truly independent, self-reliant Pakistan which is free from debt, dependency, and discord if elected to power. In Pakistan: A Personal History, PTI chairman Khan argues that a selfish and corrupt ruling elite, made up of primarily politicians, feudal leaders, and military bureaucrats, has destroyed Pakistan and brought it to the brink of disaster. PTI maintains that it represents all Pakistanis, regardless of religious, ethnic, linguistic, and provincial backgrounds.