Should Imran Khan have left Pakistan when he had the chance?

[Rana]

Imran is the most principled Pakistani I have come across even outside the realm of politics. Since his cricket days his teammates spoke of his principled stance and today in politics his counterparts talk of his principled stance. You gauge a person's ability from a third party viewpoint and given majority of Khan's life has been well documented you can reach a conclusion that he is a very principle driven individual.

Bottomline is that its certain he will never strike a deal for his betterment alone this includes leaving Pakistan.

Key thing to remember here is that people come and go, Khan will also go one day. But his principled positions (if he sticks with them) will live forever. He will have a lasting impact on Pakistan's history even beyond politics.

Kya baatain Kar rahe ho?

Where was his principal when he took down Atif Mian just because he belonged to a minority?

 

[Hitman]

Kya baatain Kar rahe ho?

Where was his principal when he took down Atif Mian just because he belonged to a minority?

Or when he gave Bajwa extension.

 

[SM1989]

Imran is the most principled Pakistani I have come across even outside the realm of politics. Since his cricket days his teammates spoke of his principled stance and today in politics his counterparts talk of his principled stance. You gauge a person's ability from a third party viewpoint and given majority of Khan's life has been well documented you can reach a conclusion that he is a very principle driven individual.

Bottomline is that its certain he will never strike a deal for his betterment alone this includes leaving Pakistan.

Key thing to remember here is that people come and go, Khan will also go one day. But his principled positions (if he sticks with them) will live forever. He will have a lasting impact on Pakistan's history even beyond politics.

Where was his principle when he side stepped merit and appointed Usman Buzdar on the advice of Pinky Peerni?

Where was his principle when “Punjab ka sab se barra dakoo” was made PTI president?

Where was his principle when Sheikh Rasheed was made Railway Minister after not even being considered worthy by Khan of being a chaprasi in his party?

 

[Rana]

Where was his principle when he side stepped merit and appointed Usman Buzdar on the advice of Pinky Peerni?

Where was his principle when “Punjab ka sab se barra dakoo” was made PTI president?

Where was his principle when Sheikh Rasheed was made Railway Minister after not even being considered worthy by Khan of being a chaprasi in his party?

Fayaz Chohan Hinduphobe and Antisemitic being kept along as a senior member of PTI

 

[Extra_Cover]

Where was his principle when he side stepped merit and appointed Usman Buzdar on the advice of Pinky Peerni?

Where was his principle when “Punjab ka sab se barra dakoo” was made PTI president?

Where was his principle when Sheikh Rasheed was made Railway Minister after not even being considered worthy by Khan of being a chaprasi in his party?

You are mistaking Imran's mistakes with his principles. He stood firm on the principle of corruption the reason this party came into existence. Even after being elected as prime minister and rule the country for 3.5 years there is no corruption allegation proven on him and its clear he hasn't compromised on his corruption principle. It was said by many people that he would be corrupt just like other politicians but this is just a pipe dream of PDM that Imran's name is involved or associated with corruption just like theirs but this hasn't happened.

Mistakes are different and these are committed intentionally or unintentionally and Imran has made plenty of mistakes but his principle position hasn't changed on corruption even though there are people within his party alleged of corruption its not something associated with Khan himself.

 

[Stewie]

You are mistaking Imran's mistakes with his principles. He stood firm on the principle of corruption the reason this party came into existence. Even after being elected as prime minister and rule the country for 3.5 years there is no corruption allegation proven on him and its clear he hasn't compromised on his corruption principle. It was said by many people that he would be corrupt just like other politicians but this is just a pipe dream of PDM that Imran's name is involved or associated with corruption just like theirs but this hasn't happened.

Mistakes are different and these are committed intentionally or unintentionally and Imran has made plenty of mistakes but his principle position hasn't changed on corruption even though there are people within his party alleged of corruption its not something associated with Khan himself.

This is a very key point, one his detractors and naysayers refuse to admit. We all make mistakes and IK is no different but be is absolutely bulletproof when it comes to sincerity and honesty. Compared to the other corrupt essobees who have run the country into the ground he is a saint.

And thats the part the supporters of the said essobees hate about him. So they pivot to his other mistakes.

 

[SM1989]

This is a very key point, one his detractors and naysayers refuse to admit. We all make mistakes and IK is no different but be is absolutely bulletproof when it comes to sincerity and honesty. Compared to the other corrupt essobees who have run the country into the ground he is a saint.

And thats the part the supporters of the said essobees hate about him. So they pivot to his other mistakes.

Calling his u-turns and abandonment of principles as "mistakes" is a nice cop out. Bottom line is he didn't stick to what he claimed pre-election and then sought to use gymnastics to justify his u-turns and backtracking. He has an excellent ability to fake sincerity such that people easily fall for it. He is a politician just like the rest of them.

 

[IMMY69]

Calling his u-turns and abandonment of principles as "mistakes" is a nice cop out. Bottom line is he didn't stick to what he claimed pre-election and then sought to use gymnastics to justify his u-turns and backtracking. He has an excellent ability to fake sincerity such that people easily fall for it. He is a politician just like the rest of them.

But I think you have to agree that the Shareef's and Bhutto's are like cult figures now...the way some of the minority people stick with them and up for them despite their thieving is beyond belief. Also that IK, despite the U Turns as claimed by you and others, is sincere to the people of Pakistan and that now the majority of Pakistanis have shifted away from the cult following of crooks?

 

[Extra_Cover]

Calling his u-turns and abandonment of principles as "mistakes" is a nice cop out. Bottom line is he didn't stick to what he claimed pre-election and then sought to use gymnastics to justify his u-turns and backtracking. He has an excellent ability to fake sincerity such that people easily fall for it. He is a politician just like the rest of them.

This. The highlighted bit is the thing that irks everyone currently in power. There is a never-ending desire currently in powerful ranks that people of Pakistan accepts the bolded line that Imran is just like the rest of them. The reality is that Imran is different from the rest hence he is an outcast in this dirty system. Imran is like a horse in a race ran by donkeys, clearly he is running well ahead of the rest in this race so the donkeys amongst themselves decided that only donkeys would constitute as participants and Imran would be an outcast. The problem here is that people are all out there to see the horse running rather than the donkeys.

 

[MenInG]

The Federal Government have placed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife on the no-fly list, ARY News reported.

 

[daytrader]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I want to thank the government for putting my name on the ECL as I have no plans to travel abroad, because I neither have any properties or businesses abroad nor even a bank account outside the country.<br><br>If and when I do get an opportunity for a holiday, it will be in our…</p>— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/1661973760679768065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[MenInG]

Pakistan's Former Prime Minister Imran Khan has said he will never leave his home country, even if his life is in grave danger.

Drama has followed the former cricket player and politician since he was ousted from office last April.

He has been shot, had his house besieged, been arrested by police - and later released.

Violent protests spilled out into the streets around his home when police attempted to detain him, in clashes which left six people dead.

Mr Khan faces more than 100 legal cases, some of which date back to his term as premier, as well as terrorism charges for inciting people to violence.

Despite the danger that has dogged the former leader since he was ousted

from office, he tells ITV News political editor Robert Peston he would never leave Pakistan.

Speaking on ITV1's Peston on Wednesday, Mr Khan said he would not flee his home.

"No, I wouldn't," Mr Khan said. "Because, you know, our leaders used to leave the country, have billions of dollars stashed abroad. So I have more to do if I leave my country. But in any case, this is my home, why would I leave it?"

Asked if he had a death wish, he said: "No, it's not that… I grew up with this country. I mean, my age is almost the same as Pakistan. And, you know, I only came into politics 27 years ago, I didn't need politics or a career, I had everything.

"The reason was… I got inspired when I went as a teenager to England. What inspired me? Rule of law, and a welfare state. And so when I started politics, these were my two aims, Pakistan should have rule of law and welfare state…”

He continued: “As long as I live, I will be struggling for this rule of law, movement for justice. This is my life's mission."

When Peston asked if he was surprised that the West wasn't supporting him, he said: "In general, I don't really need support from other countries. But all I all I expect from other countries, especially the Western countries, who talk about the Western values about democracy, about rule of law, against human rights violations, custodial torture, and so on.

"All I want is they should be consistent about these things, they should not come out just because when they want to, you know, beat up China on Hong Kong or Uighurs, or Russia. It should be consistent. Now, Pakistan's democracy is being wound up, it's being dismantled."

Asked if he regretted not weakening the army's power in Pakistan while he was PM, Mr Khan replied: "Look, the Army has ruled Pakistan directly or indirectly for 75 years.

"So for me to have come in and think that I can, you know, get rid of the army from the governor's seat is really not possible. So, I had to work with them, and that's the only way to do it, because it's the only entrenched organised institution in the country.

"I managed to do work with the army, and actually managed to get most of my economic agenda done."

Asked if he regretted meeting with Vladimir Putin as the Russian invasion of Ukraine was unfolding, he defended the trip, saying it was planned months earlier and was organised by a foreign office.

“The military wanted hardware from Russia, the country wanted cheap oil from Russia, because as the commodity supercycle following Covid-19, people were going below the poverty line because of the inflation.

"So the government wanted cheaper oil. And then we wanted to import two million tonnes of wheat. So the trip was organised months before."

Mr Khan has been a central figure in Pakistani politics for years and has had a strong connection to the UK for most of his life.

He played on Pakistan's cricket team until 1992 before entering politics and eventually becoming prime minister in 2018.

His time in charge was plagued by instability as Pakistan's powerful military refused to accept him.

He was ousted in a controversial no-confidence vote in 2022, with Mr Khan blaming the military and the US for his downfall.

Imran Khan released from prison on bail by top Pakistan court

Since then he has remained an extremely potent force in Pakistani politics and has become an enemy of the current government.

In a move widely seen as political, Mr Khan was detained by police last month, sparking nationwide protests.

Mr Khan faces more than 100 legal cases, including on graft charges during his 2018-2022 term as premier, and has also been charged with terrorism for inciting people to violence.

His supporters staged days of violent protest in response to the move, worsening the economic turmoil in the country.

In response, the government has cracked down harshly on Mr Khan's supporters and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party with dozens of arrests.

Mr Khan has claimed that several of his party officials and lawmakers have "quit at gunpoint" — and have not left his camp because of the rioting by his supporters, as some have said.

ITVX