Analyst says Imran Khan's political standing separate from imprisonment

2 min read

Siddique Jan assessed that Imran Khan is the most popular political leader in Pakistan since Muhammad Ali Jinnah, with a strong voter base across all four provinces and in Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, but that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf faces deep internal divisions. Jan said major policy differences with the military on relations with the United States, Iran and Afghanistan, and on operations against domestic terrorism, make reconciliation unlikely now. He noted economic and security pressures, including higher defence needs and reliance on remittances, could later create space for compromise, and he judged shifting political circumstances most likely.

Imran Khan remains widely popular despite party splits and a military rift