Ex Oriente Lux 2022

132 Сайед София Санкт-Петербургский государственный университет, Факультет международных отношений Tehreek-e Insaf's Contribution to Structural Change in Pakistan's Political Culture Pakistan Tehreek-e Insaf (PTI), formed in 1996 by the cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan has been gaining momentum throughout its relatively brief history. Positioning itself as the only “non-dynastic” leading actor on the political arena of the country, PTI has evolved from a seeker of comprehensive justice to a driving political force in the state, challenging its institutions and mobilizing thousands of its followers. The methods and dynamics behind PTI’s scheme of action have brought about a structural change within the framework of the political culture in Pakistan, as well as to the way politics is carried out in а system dominated by a military establishment with a relatively slow progression towards democratization. Since 2011, Imran Khan, ex-Prime Minister of Pakistan and the leader of the party has been credited with using unconventional methods of political influence that the former political parties and authorities were previously unacquainted with. Building an image around a rhetoric predominantly populist in nature, Khan has managed to alter the way political struggle is carried out in the country, mainly with the aid of farsighted social media campaigns, widespread political rallies and slogans appealing to the masses. Tehreek-e Insaf has, on the one hand, succeeded in safeguarding some of the dominant features of the public discourse, such as the image of an external enemy, especially after the non- confidence vote against Khan in April 2022. From another perspective, it has been developing a unique blend of populism, appeal to religious values and an overindulging discredit towards its political opponents; this in all has formed a more aggressive political narrative with new ways of its distribution that Pakistan hasn’t come across before.