Imran Khan hurting Imran Khan

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan’s erratic political stance and contradictory statements have left the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership confused, frustrated, and increasingly divided over how to seek political relief for both their jailed leader and the embattled party.

According to media reports, senior PTI leaders who met Imran in Adiala jail on Tuesday said the former premier indicated his willingness to open channels of dialogue with the military establishment. 

He reportedly gave a green light to the party to explore the possibility of talks with the top brass. However, he drew a clear red line, saying no negotiations should be held with the government or the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

Yet, in a sharp twist barely 24 hours later, Imran reportedly criticised Army Chief General Asim Munir’s elevation to field marshal. As per Imran’s sisters, who visited him in jail on Wednesday, the PTI founder sarcastically remarked that instead of becoming field marshal, Munir should have declared himself a “king”.

This latest comment has triggered a fresh wave of dismay among the PTI’s top ranks. One senior leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, questioned how the party could pursue any meaningful dialogue with the establishment when the PTI founding chairman continues to publicly mock its top leadership.

Adding to the confusion, while Imran’s sister Aleema Khan conveyed his critical remarks to the media, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan had already congratulated General Munir on his elevation while talking to media persons earlier in the day.

“There’s no coherence in our approach,” admitted a frustrated PTI leader. He explained: “We’re told one thing by Imran one day, and then something completely different the next. Even his sisters, perhaps unaware of the implications, end up amplifying his emotional outbursts.”

Some senior PTI members reportedly huddled privately to discuss the fallout of Imran’s latest remarks, with several voicing concern over how to proceed when even internal consensus seems impossible under Imran’s inconsistency.

Interestingly, it has emerged that just last week, Imran had indicated willingness to allow the PTI to engage with the government following Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s renewed offer for dialogue. 

But, the party sources said, in another U-turn during Wednesday’s meeting, Imran claimed it had been a “misunderstanding” — clarifying that he never meant for the party to talk to the PMLN-led coalition. He reaffirmed that while the door remains open for talks with the military, there won’t be any talks with the government.

“What can we do in these situations?” one PTI insider lamented. “We’re stuck. Our leader says one thing, then says he didn’t mean it. And his family’s public commentary only adds fuel to the fire.”

With Imran’s legal troubles unending and political isolation continuing, the party’s internal disarray reflects uncertainty. Whether the PTI can chart an agreed way forward, or whether Imran himself will allow it, remains the million-dollar question.

Originally published in The News