Ideology and Policies

As a revolutionary party that has recently arrived on the national stage, PTI has called for major social, economic, and political reforms. PTI's ideology is derived mainly from Allama Iqbal's vision of a self-reliant, modern democracy derived from the guiding principles of humanity inherent in Islam. While Pakistan remains heavily reliant on international lenders and aid donors, PTI has promised to stop all foreign aid if it comes to power. PTI maintains that corruption in all of its forms - whether moral, financial, spiritual - has ruined Pakistan, and therefore a culture of accountability and transparency is needed to restore faith in the system of government. PTI politicians have consistently said that the only way to solve all of Pakistan's ills is to implement justice. PTI has robustly argued for complete religious freedom and greater representation for minorities. A number of Christians, Sikhs, and HIndus have joined the PTI in recent months because of the party's unwavering support for tolerance and diversity. PTI chief has spoken out about the dangers of religious extremism, sectarianism, narrow parochialism, intolerance, and hatred, emphasizing that it will do everything in its power to protect minority rights.Besides minorities, PTI has also spoken out for the plight of senior citizens, poor people, and women.

PTI believes in raising education standards across the country, launching a campaign to achieve universal literacy, and promoting schools and colleges in the nation. PTI Chairman Imran Khan has called for much-needed education reform and has promised to implement a universal system of education. At present, Pakistan follows several very different and competing models, which have had mixed results.By focusing on women, PTI believes that it will result in an uplifting of society and general prosperity.

Corruption in Pakistan is a serious and endemic problem, with Transparency International ranking the country 134/182 in its latest corruption index. PTI chief Imran Khan has said that corruption is the root cause of all of Pakistan's main problems. Promising to establish a model welfare state that provides for its citizens, reduce unemployment by creating many jobs, and implement economic policies which are conducive to reducing poverty^[, PTI has achieved widespread popularity for its proposed economic agenda.

PTI has also called for a complete overhaul of Pakistan's current political order and PTI chief Imran Khan has personally promised to eliminate the thana and patwari cultures which have robbed Pakistan. PTI believes in a complete abolition of feudalism, economic inequality, and government mismanagement. PTI has promised to crack down on police brutality, restructure the civil service, reform the electoral system, allow for a truly independent judiciary, decentralize state power, and enforce all laws which extend personal liberty.Imran Khan has been one of the few politicians to fully disclose his assets and in doing so, has started a trend towards greater transparency and accountability.

PTI believes in pursuing a foreign policy based on a nationalist agenda, which it believes will safeguard all of Pakistan's national interests and promote greater regional cooperation. PTI Chairman Imran Khan has promised to forge stronger relationships with neighboring countries, but not at the cost of Pakistan's national sovereignty or territorial integrity. Promising to further cement bilateral relations with China, which have already been boosted under the PPP administration, Imran Khan has laid out a bold agenda of building alliances with friendly countries to strengthen Pakistan's long-term interests. Arguing that terrorism, extremism, and radicalization have only increased as Pakistan has joined the US-led War on Terror, PTI believes that Pakistan must withdraw from this war, negotiate a peace settlement, and fight the battle against militancy on its own terms. PTI has promised to fully restore Pakistan's economic and political sovereignty if elected into power and has consistently vilified the PPP-led federal government for subverting Pakistan's national interests and strategic ambitions in order to please international powers.