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Today Maria Wasti stands where every other aspiring newcomer wants to be. But only few know how difficult it was for a girl like her who hails from a non-showbiz background, to make a significant niche for her in an over crowded place. But her struggle and sincerity both worked her way and now she sans any doubt is a force to reckon with. The most appreciating aspect of Maria's showbiz career is her choice of projects, as she has never been found doing a role lacking substance. Even at times when the 'name' Maria Wasti was selling like hot cakes, she kept her priorities right and successfully refrained from such projects, which couldn't promise to contribute significantly to satisfy her artistic urge. With Mag4you.com, Maria talks at length about her career, the changing priorities of our artists and her experience in the industry.

What actually became the reason of your foray into showbiz?
I wasn't motivated as such. It was just by accident I entered this field. It was only later that I realized it was something I enjoyed and would pursue further.

Isn't it a mere good face the showbiz is all about?
How can you say that? A good face can launch you; it cannot help you sustain if you are not loaded with the necessary talent to go with it. Haven't you noticed that a bad performer never stays in the hearts and minds of the audience? A good face gets you recognition but after that you go on your own.

So what made you realised that you could be a good artiste?
I never did actually. It's the response of the people around me that was overwhelmingly positive. So, I thought there must be something to it.

What qualities make one a good actress?
I think an actor should be sensitive to the environment, to human psychology and the social context in which he or she is asked to perform. Being well read and intellectually inclined is an added asset. Mental flexibility, versatility, hard work and self-confidence make great actors. Together it creates an unforgettable performance.

How do you practically conceive a role when offered?
I try to visualise the character's past and try to link it with her present. A lot of examples of similar people come to mind and one creates gestures, moves, tone of voice, and movement according to the imagined person. If there is confusion, the writer is of course helpful.

And what basics you keep before signing a project?
The writer, storyline, script, my role, the director, and of course the people I will work with.

Is there any significant difference between Maria at home and Maria on the screen?
I have grown tremendously mature as an artist, considering where I started from; I had absolutely no experience of television or even acting as such. Because of that I have grown as a person as well, my acting has shown me so many facets of human life, so many angles of existence that Maria as a person has matured through Maria as an artist.

How does it feel to be a pin-up material?
I am recognised naturally in my own country and surprisingly enough, abroad as well. Such is the spread of mass media these days. Of course, I enjoy the attention. My fans are wonderful.

Have you reached to some level of satisfaction with reference to your performances?
I can't say really. My work by the grace of God has always brought me recognition and appreciation otherwise I would not have been able to continue. There's always room to do more, to improve and I constantly try to do that.

Have you ever find acting and modeling sharing the same wavelength?
Well I would say these are completely different fields. Both require different types of talents. Modeling is no doubt a promotional activity of one sort or the other while acting is far more demanding, so much so that a complete surrender of the self is required.

Then why does every model eventually jump into acting?
I don't know. Must be a slump in the industry I suppose. It may even be the fact that acting brings you close to the public, where you practically become part of people's everyday lives. There's far more room for self-expression, far more acclaim and so much to explore in the artistic domain that is really out of the scope of modeling and marketing.

Why every senior artist is turning towards direction or production?
I don't think starting productions is a bad trend at all and not all senior artists are involved either. It's just natural for a person to expand their scope of work in related fields. Or to be able to finance art ventures that they dream about. It's another form of creativity I guess.

But what made you switch over to production?
I haven't switched. It's an addition to my existing profession.

Have you noticed any significant improvement in the drama as compared to the past?
I think every era has its own merits and demerits. As for the past, people had more time on their hands and a lot less pressure. With the increase in volume of work and increased competition among satellite channels, there's a lot more pressure on the actors to perform well in a fraction of the time. Besides, we have to compete globally to retain our audience. We are producing a much greater quantity of work than before and it is, therefore, difficult to retain the same level of quality as well.

Your voyage to showbiz spans over so many years, how do you set your priorities in life now?
My motto in life is 'Live let live'. My aim in life is to live as fully as I can and to bring happiness to others if it's possible for me. An artist is always looking for that one memorable role that would make them immortal. I am looking for such a performance myself. Other than that I try to work hard at what I do.

You seem to be least interested in Lollywood. Why?
I don't watch Pakistani movies really. Haven't for ages. I don't think I would want to enter films; I just don't have an aptitude for it. One must have the right aptitude and I don't find it in myself.

Some people think that you have become very high handed after your success. Is it true?
I don't know who said that. I am very down to earth and affectionate. I think people misinterpret my personality when they take my reserve attitude as some kind of snobbery. I am very simple and I get on very well with genuine folk.

How does success affect you?
I think every production is an attempt at success. It involves my time and hard work. The results depend a lot on God's will I guess and it's only sensible to take life as it comes. Right!

Where would you like to see yourself after ten years?
On a personal front, I see myself settled with a family and as far as my career is concerned, I would be exploring new avenues in my own field and traveling.

What new projects have you signed?
There are 3 projects lined up but the names are not final as yet. I am doing a couple of projects abroad

Veteran artiste Talat Hussain continues to work both in Pakistan and abroad, mostly enacting roles of a Pakistani living abroad or one of South Asian descent. From UK's Channel 4's brilliant series Traffik and Saawan Kumar's Souten Ki Beti (both 1989) to his recent Amanda Award-winning performance in Khalid Hussain's Import-Eksport, Talat has been an active player on the acting front.

He won the Amanda for his performance as Allahditta in Import-Eksport — a feat equalled by no actor from this part of the world. The award is equivalent to an Oscar in Norway and since 1985 is being given annually at the Norwegian International Film Festival. Presently, he says: "I was the first-ever recipient in the best supporting actor category because before last year, they didn't have that category. I am proud of the fact that as a Pakistani, the award came to our country."

Talat, the second theatrically trained actor in Pakistan after Zia Moheyddin, bagged a gold medal from London Academy of Arts in the 1970s. When asked why is it that only he and Zia Moheyddin (Lawrence of Arabia) have managed to find work in Europe from Pakistan whereas many Indian actors including Om Puri, Amrish Puri, Gulshan Grover and most recently Naseeruddin Shah have managed to bag work in English films, including Hollywood, he says, "English films don't need actors from the subcontinent all the time. Our actors, I am sorry to say, can't even work in India properly, let alone in Europe, because they aren't organised.

"They don't have the kind of personality — disciplined and committed — required to fit the style of European cinema which requires professionalism. We are also behind India because an Indian gets enormous coverage for completing a small task whereas a Pakistani doesn't, even for doing something unique. We don't want our people to go out and succeed internationally, resulting in India grasping better opportunities. In fact, the minor role I did in Jamil Dehalvi's Jinnah was first offered to Om Puri and when he couldn't do it, it came to me."

Busy in every field imaginable since the mid '60s (except writing), Talat has been actively involved from acting on TV, theatre, radio and films to doing voice overs, TV commercials and announcements, eventually directing TV plays. He went abroad to study acting in 1972 and debuted in Chiragh Jalta Raha (1962) alongside Mohammad Ali and Zeba; whereas Insaan Aur Aadmi (1970) — the film where he played Mohammad Ali and Zeba's son — brought him to the fore. "Although I didn't perform much between 1972 and 1977 because of my commitments in London, I managed to get the right roles at the right time. I personally rate my role of a village doctor in Pervez Malik's Gumnaam (1983) as memorable since it not only gave me a margin to perform but also earned me a National Film Award."

His filmography includes Bandagi, Bandish, Kamyabi, Miss Bangkok, Hum Se Hai Zamana, Hal Chal, Ghareebon Ka Baadshah, Raja Sahib, etc, making him famous and a force to reckon with in Lollywood.

Talat is not happy with the state of drama these days. "The kind of plays we worked in on PTV are nowhere to be seen because we didn't keep up with the changes that were taking place in our society during the mid '80s. People's concerns were changing, the values within the society were shifting and since the plays didn't tackle those issues, we were caught unaware on the backfoot. Art means nothing without content and our generation was more content-oriented than their predecessors, who create sellable packages for profits rather than going for content. When art becomes a sellable commodity, it is of no use at all. Our work provided viewers with something to think about while the current offerings are unable to do so because of lack of quality and thought-provoking content."

The veteran actor is also unhappy with the commitment level of youngsters these days. "It would be best if we don't expect much from the newcomers because commitment levels have declined in all fields, be it acting or unrelated fields. In our field, glamour has unnecessarily become the dominating factor, which is wrong considering that no matter how much work a person gets today, he or she would only survive because of what he or she delivers and not because of looks and glamorous locations.

"In our times, we used to take pains in acting because at the back of our minds, we knew that this was what we were made for and we knew what we had to deliver. (We were) unlike the current generation, whose prime concern is to make a quick buck and nothing else."

There are a few plays that were genuinely shot abroad because the problems they tackled were of Pakistanis abroad. Otherwise, the plays that are shot abroad for no reason are doing nothing for our drama. They are just glamorised gimmicks to attract sponsorship and are degrading art."

'I don't like my looks, neither am I a big fan of my acting. I don't like my voice and I have seldom watched my own plays or films. But I try to improve myself with every passing day and believe that my life-long association with showbiz has been God's gift to me,' says Talat Hussain

So what does he think of the Indian invasion of TV soaps in Pakistan? "We are a bunch of totally lost people," a saddened Talat states. "Because of lack of self-confidence, we believe that every Indian artiste — be it male or female — is better than us which is absolutely wrong. I am not saying that Indian actors are not good, but that doesn't mean that we don't have good actors. By using their TV artistes who are nothing compared to our actors, our producers are hoping against hope that their serials would be purchased in India or would get sponsors from across the border.

"Similarly, we pay them enormous amounts for working in our serials while our artistes don't get that much money. Ours are considered mediocre when they go to India but we hail their mediocre artistes as if they were screen giants. Their artistes work for eight hours while our artistes are on duty 24/7 which is absolutely wrong. The producers who are doing this should be ashamed of themselves and should refrain from doing so, otherwise the repercussions would be very dangerous.

"I went to India in 1989 to perform in Souten Ki Beti and was immediately offered eight films which I didn't accept because of the tension between the two nations — they change without any warning. There are really good people in India who want to use Pakistani talent but sadly, they are quite small in number as there is a silent opposition against using Pakistani artistes in India. The sooner we organise ourselves, the sooner we shall establish associations with artistes, technicians and writers, the better it would be; otherwise these channel people will eat us alive," he says.

When asked what he means by "change in values", Talat openly states: "Since the dawn of spaghetti westerns — A Fistful of Dollars and The Wild Bunch — violence had become an integral part of cinema the world over. In Third World countries such as Pakistan, these films were released easily because they were cheap commodities and even if one didn't know the language, the action was impressive and entertaining enough.

"They influenced our writers and directors, resulting in films like Maula Jat and TV serials like Waris which made people aware and cautious of the feudalism that existed in the rural areas. Sultan Rahi became an icon of resistance against the evils of the feudal system and injustice. Since most of the population in Pakistan lives in rural areas, these films gave producers the profit they wanted and thus ended the era of romantic films in Pakistan. Violence invaded our minds so badly that it back-lashed in the form of the Taliban, and now the west is demoting violence because it has created problems for them."

So how is he finding direction? "I don't know how good or bad a director I am but I am thankful to my seniors for making me learn so much. In fact, when I asked S. Suleman to watch a play that I had directed over a cup of tea, he was impressed. That is something more of a compliment coming from a man who has been directing films even before I started acting."

Talat was equally impressed by Owais Khan, the director of Sarmaya and Karachi Law. "Among the new lot, he has the most potential because he handles each frame well. I won't comment on Javaid Fazil and S. Suleman because they are giants and praising them would be like showing a candle to the sun. I was also impressed by Shehzad Nawaz's Botal Gali which, despite being very long, had powerful content that somehow we lack in other plays."

On being asked why he once said that Al Pacino copies him, a surprised Talat strongly contradicted the statement. "I have never said such a thing in my life. Why would an American actor of the caliber of Al Pacino copy me, an actor who works in a medium alien to the Americans? I am against such small-talk and if someone has published such a statement with my name, he should either have proof or should publish a denial." The great actor has never won a PTV award, a fact that he doesn't want to discuss. "I am least concerned when it comes to awards as I have never worked to achieve them."

What does the pause stand for in Talat Hussain's histrionics? "I used to take pauses earlier in my career, most famously in Insaan Aur Aadmi, the TV series. I played a social worker and in every episode, when I used to visit a troubled family, I was met with sorry faces and hopeful eyes who demanded me to rid them of their troubles. In such a scenario, when I was referred to by unknown people, I was meant to take a pause so as to show that I was thinking before giving an answer.

The pause stuck to me mainly because of Moin Akhtar, undoubtedly the biggest impersonator in the subcontinent at the moment. Moin, whenever he impersonates me, takes pauses as if I always do it and the same has now become a part of my identity as an actor."

On a concluding note, Talat says, "I don't like my looks and neither am I a big fan of my acting. I don't like my voice and surprisingly, I don't have my own photographs or recordings as I have seldom watched my own plays and films. But I try to improve myself with every passing day and believe that my life-long association with showbiz has been God's gift to me,"

Try as Sri Lanka might, keeping Shahid Afridi from tinkering with matches is proving beyond them currently. Having laughed, and walloped, in the face of a taut game two nights ago, Afridi conjured up another opportune intervention to lead Pakistan to a 98-run win and a series triumph at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

Afridi's bowling has kept his place in the team in recent months. The leg-spin is more pick n' mix than mystical, but its effectiveness is in little doubt. Shoaib Malik knew it when he shunned the third powerplay and brought him on as early as the 17th over.

He had little choice, for Sri Lanka were picking their way delightfully into a daunting 314-run target. Their openers had set the tone, in a wonderfully free-spirited, attacking opening. Mohammaf Asif and Mohammad Sami attacked in contrasting manner, Chamara Kapugedera and Upul Tharanga responded in kind. By the fifth over, Tharanga was putting away Asif for three fours, of which the last - a punch down the ground - was the pick.

Two wickets fell, whereupon began the real game. Outside Australia, there cannot currently be a more assured presence at the crease than Mahela Jayawardene. If Pakistan needed proof, he soon gave it to them. Having already clipped Sami square, he pulled Umar Gul so elegantly that the resulting gargantuan six seemed too uncouth a result for it. Tharanaga kept up, driving Asif relentlessly; in the 15th over, a fifty union came up, as well as, staggeringly, the 100.

It was then that Afridi's itchy fingers clicked. Tharanga fell in his second over and almost every delivery asked a question different from the last. Some bounced, some spun more, some went the other way, some had more hustle. Malik, who had come on himself, ensured that runs dried up.

Both went through their ten overs unchanged, Afridi adding Chamara Silva and Prasanna Jayawardene to his tally. The latter, dismissed one over after Malik trapped Tillakaratne Dilshan, effectively ended the match. Jayawardene, the skipper, refused to forego his grace under fire but when he fell at the start of the third Powerplay, with him went the series.

As with the chase, so with the fielding: Sri Lanka were well in at various stages only to give it away. Having started by resting Lasith Malinga and Sanath Jayasuriya, the World Cup finalists didn't help their cause.

An attack more notable for who wasn't there rather than who was thus presented Pakistan's batting with plentiful gifts. Salman Butt and Yasir Hameed took advantage, with a blazing sun and a no-frills track to help, to post a pair of pretty fifties.

Ruchira Perera in particular seemed to have gotten up on the wrong side of the bed: left-arm and of indeterminate pace he may be, Chaminda Vaas he isn't. The no-ball to begin the innings was careless, the two leg-side half-volleys that Butt clipped through square leg were worse.

It was a recurring leitmotif in those first overs, Perera honing in on Butt's shins and toes, the batsman honing in on the square leg hoarding. Dilhara Fernando was quicker, but no better. Though he sent back Imran Nazir early, the start had been given away.

Butt and Hameed slipped into a delicious groove, their timing not betraying lengthy absences. Not a slog was seen during the duo's 98-run partnership, as befits batsmen of such poise, yet they still went at nearly a run a ball. Drives, angled bats, flicks, punches all slipped past fielders on the surface rather than the air, Butt bringing up an important fifty - his first in 15 months - inevitably putting Perera away.

Sri Lanka then clawed back in: Farvez Maharoof had already brought in some discipline but Malinga Bandara's arrival gave his side a chance. That 32-run over actually defaced a decent spell and so it showed here; Hameed was troubled then and was troubled now. Upon reaching fifty, he immediately chipped a lame drive back.

Two more Bandara overs later, bravely flighted much of it, Butt did likewise. Malik, keen to impose, succeeded in a dangerous dance down the pitch once, but succumbed in Bandara's next over striving for an encore.

Dilshan helped out, a spell typifying what modern ODI offspin bowling has become: flat, speared in, little turn and hardly time to blink between balls. Boundaries vanished, runs threatened to and wickets fell just when they needn't have.

Sri Lanka had hopes of restricting Pakistan to under 300 then, but four dropped catches and one poor over from Maharoof spoiled it. Ultimately, as they squandered a good start to Afridi, it mattered not.

Boond, a drop of Jal - The band!!

Exclusively for all the fans of Jal - The band, and if you don't appreciate Jal very much, then you will surely enjoy it more than that. The very 1st album of Jal has already rocked not only Pakistan but the entire subcontinent. The band has Gohar Mumtaz (the lead and rhythm guitarist, vocalist-composer and lyricist), Farhan Saeed (the lead vocalist) and Shazi who is the bass guitarist. I am very much in favour of the big break-up of Atif Aslam and Gohar. Amazed!! Yeah, it's true. That split has yielded two entirely different kinds of music. One is the music of Jal - The band. The band got formed in year 2002 in Lahore and their first album Aadat was released in December 2003. Jal mainly focuses on pop and soft rock genre. The melody and lyrics are the chief ingredients of their stuff.

All right, don't get frustrated, I am just coming to the news, it is about 'Boond A drop of Jal', second album of the band. Sounds cool? But according to my expectations and Jal's aspirations, this Boond is an ocean itself. It has 12 songs, including two unplug versions and two remixes.

Khurram Mumtaz, band manager of Jal – The band and brother of Gohar exclusively talks about the upcoming album of Jal.

So Khurram why you people named it Boond, yeah, it sounds cool, it is related to jal. Is it the only reason?

Yeah! Boond makes jal. But Jal is contributing a 'Boond, A drop of Jal' to the music industry of Pakistan. We are working hard to make it as upstanding as Aadat.

We hope so! When you people are planning to release this new one?

Jal is supposed to release this album in the 2nd week of July.

Oh! Then we must look forward to having some more soft and sweet rock?

Yeah! Very soon! Insha Allah. We are busy in the shootings of the very 1st video of a song from this album Raatein.

I thought you'd first work on your title track. I guess Boond.

Boond is just the name of the album. It's not a title track, I mean it is not a song.

Right! Jal – The band has once rocked India. Have you people any plans to perform for any of the Indian flicks?

We will wait for a good banner.

Couldn't find any, yet?

We have had many offers from Bollywood, like Muhesh Bhatt called us for his movie Train, five months back.

That was not a better option, you think. Himesh has done its music.

No, it isn't so. But we will wait for something different.

A stuff that suits you?

Exactly!

If you'll get a stuff like that, but Jal would have to perform with Atif? How'd it sound to you?

Not that cool! We have no personal conflicts indeed but professionally it doesn't sound rocking. Sometimes we find it difficult to perform together at concerts. We had some similar tracks like Aadat, and who likes monotony. Gohar Mumtaz (the lead guitarist and vocalist of Dil Haray) says: "We are very much busy in the shootings of the videos of our two songs; soon we'll come up with a few mellifluous melodies."

It was all about Jal – The band. Their previous album Aadat, was simply awesome. Now I am waiting to get Boond, A drop of Jal, as soon as I can but not befor July.

Shopping with Celebrities...GameOver Style! "What is she wearing?", "Where did he get that shirt?" - we have all asked these questions when we really like (or dislike!) what a hot celebrity is wearing on TV, screen, stage, or just a party that you happen to be at. Well, look no further! GameOver Productions takes us behind the scenes of a new show for ARY's shopping channel. In this show, the name of which is still under deliberation, Pakistani celebrities will talk exclusively with the show's hosts and share their shopping habits and preferences about styles and trends. The celebrities featured in the pictures are just a few for the initial episodes, with many more on the line-up for future episodes, being filmed as we speak. The show will be entertaining, insightful, and will give audiences a chance to find out more about their favorite stars from a different point of view. So take a look at all the celebrities whose shopping habits you will soon get to know about and keep an eye out for this show!! Jana Malik Abrar Abrar with the crew Ali Zafar Ali Noor Ali Sher Shiraz Uppal Shiraz Uppal in his studio Zarmina - fashion designer Ahmed Butt Nadia Afghan with Faisal Qureshi Samina Ahmed

Issue 91: May 26-Jun 1, 2007 Paparazzi Paparazzi Home Karachi: PLAY TV hosted Atif Aslam live in concert at the Carlton Hotel. A view of the stage Atif Aslam Atif interacting with the crowd The audience Atif The crowd enjoying the concert Faryal and Ghazal Zuberi with friends Hands in the air An Atif fan The Heart Beat group dancing Hina, Javeria, Jewel and Raheel Myra, Imran, Moodi, Zahra, ALizeh, Farah and Natalia with friends Javeria and Jewel A view of the stage from above Atif with the crowd KAS students Arsalan Moodi and Jibran KAS students Zahra, Myra, Alizeh and Farah with Jewel Moodi and Abrar with the KAS girls Paparazzi Home

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Issue 91: May 26-Jun 1, 2007

Paparazzi Paparazzi Home Lahore: J&S Spring Ball in association with Telenor. Kami, Sanam and HSY Natasha Hussain R-L Abrar, Ali Murtaza, Ali Zafar, Kornelija, Deena Khan, Meena and friends AD and Nehzat Amminah, Talal and Ammar DJ Stephanie from Paris Guests Kami, Adnan Malik and Anoushey dancing the night away Deena Khan and Rabia Jafri of Telenor with friends Guests from Karachi

Paparazzi		Paparazzi Home
Karachi: Haroon launched his new album "Haroon Ka Nasha" at the Carlton Hotel Haroon performing songs from his new album Haroon A view of the stage Haroon performing Paparazzi Home

Paparazzi		Paparazzi Home
Lahore: Fashion designer Zara Shahjahan got engaged to Saif. Zara and Saif exchanging rings Zara and Saif Haroon, Umair, Saif and Ali Zafar Maheen and Ayesha Saif and Hanna Zara and Saif Tanya, Zara and Saif Farhan, Hatib and Asim Zara with her friends Talha, Natasha, Zara and Saif Paparazzi Home

Eye of the Tiger: OPEN DC's Breakfast with Imran Khan By Armughan Javaid, Special Correspondent Photographs by Rabyya Khawaja and Armughan Javaid Additional photographs provided by OPEN DC
The Organization of Pakistani Entrepreneurs of North America (OPEN)'s Washington D.C. Chapter arranged a breakfast meeting with Imran Khan on June 24th, 2006 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Arlington, VA. The stated objective of the meeting was to provide a unique, interactive event with one of the most revered figures in Pakistan, as he shares his views and experiences on leadership. The turnout was excellent and a large number of Pakistani professionals were in attendance to hear Imran speak on 'leadership'. Unfortunately, Imran ran about 45 minutes behind schedule but, to his credit apologized right away and admitted to being under the impression that the event was slated for a 9 A.M. start. As usual, he was exuding charisma and one could literally feel it the moment he walked into the room.
'Leadership' is obviously a very vast topic and lots of literature can be found that differentiates 'leadership' from 'management'. Imran focused on leadership and the importance of motivating and driving a team to achieve a strategic vision. He did a very good job of providing personal examples from his cricket career, his charitable work, and more recently, from his journey in politics. "Never compromise on the vision" was his key message. He narrated how in his early cricket career he always had a vision of becoming the best all rounder, and when that aim was achieved, he reset the vision to a higher level – take Pakistan cricket to the top levels.
Another aspect of leadership Imran spoke about was being not afraid of failure. Fear of failure almost always translates into poor leadership and ultimately, actual failure in the worse way. Again, he gave an example from the world of cricket – according to Imran, Inzamam-ul-Haq and coach Bob Woolmer were so afraid of losing during India's last tour of Pakistan, that they opted to create a totally dead wicket for the first Test despite fast bowling being our strength. This issue has been beaten to death in the sporting press in India/Pakistan and actually Inzamam is on record as saying that the pitch creation was not in his purview. Still, Imran was of the view that Inzi while being one of the greatest batsmen has perhaps not been one of the best leaders of the national side. Imran also implied that optimism is also a key quality that a leader must possess. He recalled that halfway during the 1992 World Cup Pakistan's chances of reaching the final stages were minimal. Intikhab Alam, who was the team manager at the time, came to Imran to find out his opinion on flight arrangements for the team to fly back home. Imran was surprised and promptly told Intikhab to come back when they actually lost. The rest, as they say, is history.
He also made candid admissions of being ridiculed for his party winning only one seat in the elections and how people ask him the reasons for his 'failure' in politics. He does not see it that way. In Imran's mind he has not 'failed' and is on course for reaching his goal and his party's mission. Whatever failures are encountered must be treated as learning experiences and the belief in the vision must stand. To that end, Tehreek-e-Insaaf (Movement for Justice) plans to start a grass-roots movement and election drive in the fall of 2006. Finally, Imran explained how a leader must command respect, not demand it. This he feels can be done by showing personal integrity, courage and leading by example. He cited the Prophet (p.b.u.h) as the greatest leader mankind has known and he exhibited all these qualities and more. Commenting on Pakistan, Imran believes that the main problem Pakistan faces, and which the governments so far have not been able to fix, is a corrupt judicial system, which prevents accountability for the elite class in Pakistan.
After the speech Imran answered several questions from the audience. They ranged from the obvious cricket-related topics to politics and drilling deeper into his thoughts on leadership. In response to one question, for example, he underscored the importance of a leader creating and leaving behind an institution. He cited the example of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre where he now only has to spend on average 10-15 days per year but the institution has become a world-class facility and is contributing to cancer research as well. After the Q&A session Imran was of course thronged by fans in the audience and he graciously posed for a few quick photo ops before heading out to a fundraising event in NY.
With OPEN DC Board Members	With the event guests
WIth the audience	A view of the audience
With OPEN DC Director, Raza Latif	With Rabyya Khawaja and other guests
Another view of the audience	Mingling with the audience