October 5 brings back some vivid memories for me: the crowds in Islamabad, the excitement of a Lahore rally, and the time I got nudged aside while trying to get closer to Imran Khan.

I never did get that handshake. Apparently, admiring someone does not automatically grant you priority access to them. Security had other ideas.

But my connection to Imran Khan was never really about shaking his hand. It was about the hope he inspired in me and in countless other Pakistanis who wanted to believe their country could be different.

From Cricket Legend to Political Leader

Imran Khan first captured the nation’s imagination on the cricket field, leading Pakistan to its historic 1992 Cricket World Cup victory. He later founded Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), entered politics, and eventually became prime minister. His work establishing Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital also became an important part of his public legacy.

For me, though, his influence went beyond cricket, charity, and political office. He made politics feel personal. He gave people like me a reason to get involved rather than simply complain about the state of the country and carry on with our lives.

Islamabad, 2014: I Was There

In 2014, I attended the protests in Islamabad’s Red Zone during Imran Khan’s 126-day sit-in. I did not want to experience those events through television coverage alone. I wanted to be there, among the people who had turned up because they believed change was possible.

I even helped nudge aside obstacles so Khan could enter the Red Zone. It was a small contribution to a much larger political moment, but I remember being part of it.

I also spent weekends in Islamabad to hear his speeches. There was something compelling about being surrounded by people who shared a sense of possibility. Of course, standing in the heat for hours is a less glamorous activity than political speeches make it sound. Hope is wonderful, but it does not come with air conditioning.

Still, those weekends meant something to me. I felt that ordinary citizens could do more than watch politics unfold from a distance.

The Shaukat Khanum Fundraiser and the Missing Handshake

At a Shaukat Khanum fundraiser, I got close enough to hope I might finally shake Imran Khan’s hand. Instead, he passed by surrounded by security, and I was nudged aside.

That was that. No handshake, no conversation, and no dramatic story about a life-changing encounter.

I can laugh about it now. The guards were doing their job, and I was hardly entitled to a personal audience. But the moment stuck with me because it captured the funny distance between admiring a public figure and actually getting within arm’s reach of one.

I did not get the handshake. I did, however, get a story that has lasted considerably longer than the few seconds I spent hoping for one.

Lahore, 2018, and the Hope That Continued

The night before Pakistan’s 2018 general election, I attended Imran Khan’s jalsa in Wapda Town, Lahore. The energy of the crowd brought back the feelings I had experienced in Islamabad. People had gathered because they wanted to see a different direction for Pakistan.

PTI went on to form the federal government after the 2018 election. In February 2024, PTI-backed candidates ran as independents and won the largest number of National Assembly seats among competing groups, and they successfully secured an outright majority. An amazing feat considering the illegal, immoral, and unjustified crackdown against Khan and his party.

That distinction matters. Political support is powerful, and what happened in 2024 reminded me why I became so invested in Imran Khan’s journey in the first place. Having stood among the crowds in Islamabad and Lahore, I saw firsthand the hope he inspired in ordinary Pakistanis. The determination people showed in the face of adversity strengthened my belief that the desire for a better Pakistan is still very much alive.

Imprisonment and the Meaning of Hope

Imran Khan’s imprisonment has become another defining chapter in his political story. I believe his incarceration is unjust, and I see the legal battles surrounding him as part of a wider struggle over political representation, accountability, and the rule of law.

This is not to say that any politician is flawless. Imran Khan is human, like the rest of us. Admiration should not require pretending that a leader can never make mistakes. But I believe fairness, due process, and equal treatment under the law should apply to everyone, regardless of political position.

What continues to matter to me is the connection between Khan and the people who support him. The crowds I saw were not just faces gathered for a speech. They were people who wanted their voices to count and who believed their country could do better.

Happy Birthday, Imran Khan

When I look back, I remember the Islamabad protests, the Lahore jalsa, and that elusive handshake at the fundraiser. I remember the crowds, the anticipation, and the feeling that I was participating in something larger than myself.

I cannot say what Pakistan’s future will look like, but I still hope for a country with stronger institutions, greater accountability, and a political system in which ordinary people feel heard.

So, happy birthday, Imran Khan. I never got that handshake, but I came away with something more lasting: memories of the people who showed up, the hope they carried, and the belief that Pakistan’s future is still worth fighting for.