Imran Khan’s win celebrated in New York City

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The victory of Pakistan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf (Pakistan Justice Party) of former cricket star-turned-politician Imran Khan in the controversy-marked general elections has received a mostly enthusiastic response in New York City, even as some in the community question the results. Khan’s PTI won 116 National Assembly seats in a house of 272 in the July 25 ballot, and is almost certain to form the next government. The Pakistan Muslim League party of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif (who just started serving a 10-year prison sentence for corruption) and former president Asif Zardari’s Pakistan Peoples Party won 64 and 47 seats respectively.

It will be the first time since 1988 that Pakistan will have an elected prime minister from a third party. Zardari’s PPP and Sharif’s PML have been taking turns governing the South Asian nation after each election – except for the period of military rule of Gen. Pervez Musharraf.

This story, by Jehangir Khattak, was originally published in Voices of NY, on June 30, 2018. To read the story in its entirety, click here: https://voicesofny.org/2018/07/in-nycs-pakistani-enclaves-most-cheer-imran-khan/