CIAO DATE: 06/2012
May 2012
United States Institute of Peace
As the Pakistani electoral cycle gears up for an election, the country's traditional political stakeholders face a change in the tenor of political discourse and a more robust electoral field due to the recent rise in popular support for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), or Pakistan Movement for Justice, helmed by cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan. The PTI's platform and rhetoric reflect current disaffection with Pakistan's civilian leadership. Encapsulated within the party's populism is capitalization on a political opening in Pakistan created by a tumultuous year and facilitated by perception of Khan as an ‘anti-politician politician.'
Resource link: The PTI and Pakistan's Changing Political Landscape [PDF] - 312K