04/24/2020
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf was founded by Imran Khan on 25 April 1996 in Lahore, Pakistan.[19] Founded initially as a sociopolitical movement, in June 1996 the first Central Executive Committee of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf was formed under the leadership of Imran Khan, including Naeemul Haque, Ahsan Rasheed, Hafeez Khan, Mowahid Hussain, Mahmood Awan and Nausherwan Burki[20] as founding members. PTI 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. The general election in 2008 resulted in a PPP victory. This election was boycotted by PTI.
During the presidency of Asif Ali Zardari, Imran Khan's popularity soared amid discontent with the ruling administration's domestic and foreign policy. PTI promised to create an independent, self-reliant Pakistan free from debt, dependency and discord. In Pakistan: A Personal History, PTI chairman Khan argues that a selfish and corrupt ruling elite, primarily made up of politicians, feudal leaders, and military bureaucrats, had 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.
