Pakistan thus far. It then formed the national government in coalition with five other parties for the first time, with Khan serving as the new Pakistani prime minister. However, in April 2022, a no-confidence motion against Khan removed him and his PTI government from office at the federal level. Currently, the PTI governs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab at the provincial level and acts as the largest opposition party in Sindh, while also having significant representation in Balochistan. Officially, the PTI has stated that its focus is on turning Pakistan into a model welfare state espousing Islamic socialism, and also on dismantling religious discrimination against Pakistani minorities. The PTI terms itself an anti– movement advocating an Islamic democracy centred on egalitarianism. It claims to be the only non-dynastic party of mainstream Pakistani politics in contrast to parties such as the PPP and PML–N. Since 2019, the party has been criticized by political opponents and analysts alike for its failures to address various economic and political issues, particularly the Pakistani economy, which was further weakened in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Khan and the PTI were later praised for leading the country’s economic recovery in the pandemic's later stages. During its time in power, the party faced backlash over its crackdown on the Pakistani opposition as well as its regulation of increased censorship through curbs on Pakistani media outlets and freedom of speech. History Formative years Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf was founded by Imran Khan on 25 April 1996 in Lahore. Founded initially as a sociopolitical movement, in June 1996 the first Central Executive Committee of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf was formed under the leadership of Imran Khan, including Naeemul Haque, Ahsan Rasheed, Hafeez Khan, Mowahid Hussain, Mahmood Awan and Nausherwan Burki as founding members. PTI began to grow slowly but did not achieve immediate popularity. Expansion In October 2002, Khan ran for office in the National Elections and became a member of parliament (MP) for Mianwali, his home town. Khan, however, remained deeply critical of the entire political order of Pakistan, which he deemed corrupt, inefficient, and morally bereft of any of the founding principles of Pakistan. In protest, Khan began a grassroots campaign to raise awareness about his political party. After Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in 2007 and Nawaz Sharif returned from self-exile in Saudi Arabia, pressure increased upon President Musharraf to hold democratic elections. PTI, in conjunction with many political parties, joined