Pakistan cricketer’s political star is rising fast

More than 100,000 people rallied in support of Pakistani cricket legend and opposition politician Imran Khan in Karachi yesterday, further cementing his status as a rising force in politics.

Mr Khan’s message of cracking down on corruption and standing up to the United States has found new resonance at a time when Pakistanis are fed up with the country’s chronic insecurity and economic malaise.

“We need a government that changes the system and ends corruption, so we need the PTI to come to power,” Mr Khan told the crowd. “The first thing we need to do is end corruption.

“I promise we will end big corruption in 90 days.”

Mr Khan, 59, entered politics 15 years ago when he founded Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or the Movement for Justice Party.

Several recent polls have shown he is Pakistan’s most popular politician. He is especially popular with the country’s young urban middle class – many of those at the rally were youths in western dress.

“He’s riding a wave of popular politics right now,” said Professor Mutahir Ahmed of the University of Karachi. “There’s a lot of frustration among ordinary people, which he is cashing in on.”

Mr Khan’s rising popularity could be a concern for the US given his harsh criticism of the Pakistani government’s co-operation with Washington in the fight against Islamist militants.