Imran Khan is an ordinary man who had big dreams, Pakistan PM tells Saudi newspaper

Prime Minister Imran Khan sat down with Saudi Gazette  for an Interview what the English daily described as the Pakistani leader's first international media interaction.

Apart from discussing foreign policy and  future plans to tackle the challenges facing his country, Khan while responding to a question went on to explain who  actually he  is: a former cricket hero, a philanthropist or a leader?

"I would like to start by asking: Who is Imran Khan? Is he the famous cricketer or is he the philanthropist behind one of the world’s finest cancer hospitals or he is a leader who struggled for 22 years to give Pakistan a new vision?," asked Fahim al-Hamid who conducted the interview for the Kingdom's leading English daily.

Below is the answer the interviewer  got from the the prime minister: 

"Well, Imran Khan is an ordinary man who had big dreams, thought big and then struggled to achieve his dreams. Each time there was a setback in my life I learnt from my bad time because failure is the best teacher," said the  prime minister.

 Imran Khan is a man who started off with big dreams in cricket, learnt how to struggle in cricket, how to win and how not to get demoralized from defeat.

Seeing my mother’s pain in cancer, I decide to build a cancer hospital. Then I decided that I wanted to see Pakistan of my dream when I was growing up. Pakistan was not heading in that direction. So then the next struggle came to change Pakistan. The word New Pakistan (Naya Pakistan) is actually Pakistan of the vision of our founding fathers.

My role model was Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. He was the greatest leader not only for Pakistan, but the greatest leader of the 20th century. Then we had ideological leaders like Iqbal, the philosopher poet. 

The model of Pakistan they wanted is not Pakistan which became a country heading toward wrong direction. Hence I joined politics. 

And 22 years of struggle in politics and here I have an opportunity now to fulfill my dream. So power is only meant for a purpose and so the power I have is now to achieve my last dream to see Pakistan as a state which is a justice state and an Islamic welfare state where meritocracy is upheld."