PTI Lahore President
Born: N/A
Profession: Politician
Affiliation(s): PTI
Citizenship: Pakistani
Profile After becoming the President of Lahore district in May 2008, he set several ambitious targets for the year with a full budgetary outlay. The objective was to transform Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf as a force of radical change in the city's politics. Mehmoor ur Rashid began his political career as a student activist and later went on to become an MPA on the IJI platform in the late 80's and early 90's. Disenchanted with the current political parties he joined Tehreek-e-Insaf seeing the potential of the party to bring in the change required in Pakistan. "Lahore is the center of political activity and we want to stake a claim here," calmly states Mehmood ur Rashid sitting in his newly renovated party office. After the successful Sasta Tandoor initiative, in which the Punjab government faced losing votes if it didn't administer a similar project to assist the poor, the next major initiative is the inauguration of the membership campaign starting from Minar-e-Pakistan. The target of the campaign is to enroll 50,000 Lahoris onto the PTI platform in two weeks. Thousands of PTI banners, billboards, posters, pamphlets, stickers will be distributed across the city. Twelve large truck-floats will roam each of the 10 Towns and 150 Union Council's of Lahore district with loud speakers announcing the invitation to residents to join Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. "Lahoris often complain that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf cannot be seen anywhere. We will fix this now," says Rashid with a confident nod. As if to make a point, Rashid's team has made a video documentary titled 'Najat Dadinda" [roughly translated as The Savior] which highlights the problems faced by the nation and how Chairman Imran Khan's leadership can help over come them. Each float has been purpose-built and fitted with a large plasma screen to show the 'Najat Dahinda' video at three locations per Union Council. The floats also include the membership enrollment teams who will register the new entrants to the party. Lahore is a historical city having witnessed many movements emerge but it has always embraced the agents of change. The Ramayana was composed here and both Chandragupta Maurya and King Ashoka were resident Lahoris. For many years, the city functioned as Akbar's capital and where Prince Dara Shikoh wrote his verses and paid his daily homage to Hazrat Mian Mir's shrine. It's patron Islamic saints Hazrat Data Gunj Bux and Hazrat Madhu Lal Shah Hussain are revered by all and their shrines are a symbol of commitment to the poor and needy. These saints and rulers were leaders whose names glow thousands of years after their demise and helped shape the character of the now 8 million strong city. Their reverence reveals how the people of the city honor anyone who lead by example and integrity. Today the city is ripe for another movement for change. The membership campaign will be launched from Minar-e-Pakistan by Chairman Khan on November 16, 2008. Interestingly, Chairman Khan will sit in the shadow of the minar, on a chair used by Qaid-e-Azam Mohamed Ali Jinnah while signing the Lahore Resolution in 1940, and fill up membership forms of new members of the party. A coup of symbolism will take place. The minar that began the official Pakistan movement would be the venue for another 68 years later, and Qaid's chair will be occupied by the only man who is as committed, leading by example and incorruptable as the founding father. The next two weeks will be critical for PTI Lahore. They will become the foundation for Mian Mehmood ur Rashid's plans for the subsequent six months. "After the membership campaign, our focus will be to complete the project of building the "Insaf Markaz" to help solve the people's problems." Each of Lahore's 10 towns will have one central location called the Insaf Markaz where cells will be dedicated to helping the local members of the city on legal, social and political issues. The Insaf Markaz will become the hub of activity for PTI in the respective district regions. It will be run professionally like an office and used to spread the party's message. From these town offices, PTI will be able to secure a lasting presence downstream into UC's as well. Mian Mehmood ur Rashid has only been the President of Lahore for a few months. However, his methodical execution of the strategy to promote the party have begun to yield results. In case there is any ambiguity about the long term intentions of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Lahore's plans, the membership campaign expects to end with an exclamation mark through a rally on December 1, 2008 from Nasir Bagh to the Assembly Hall.
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