Imran Khan and Establishment Both Firm on ‘No Deal’: Najam Sethi
ISLAMABAD: Senior journalist and political analyst Najam Sethi has claimed that neither former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan nor the establishment is interested in striking a deal, with both sides remaining firm on a “no deal” position.
Speaking on his programme, Najam Sethi discussed the latest political situation in the country, Imran Khan’s possible transfer to a hospital and the controversy surrounding the Lords Test in England.
Commenting on the PIMS incident and the issue of Imran Khan’s transfer to hospital, Sethi said the PIMS incident was not directly linked to Imran Khan’s case. However, he said there was now no question of shifting Imran Khan to PIMS.
According to Sethi, the government had already lost its case, and it was clear that Imran Khan could not receive secure medical treatment at any government hospital. He said that if there was even a little sense within the government, it should itself transfer Imran Khan to Shifa Hospital.
Commenting on the interview of Imran Khan’s sons broadcast by Sky Sports during the Lords Test against England, Sethi claimed that the entire episode had been planned in advance.
نہ عمران خان کوئی ڈیل کرنا چاہتے ہیں نہ اسٹیبلشمنٹ کوئی ڈیل کرنا چاہتی ہے دونوں ڈٹے ہوئے ہیں کہ نو ڈیل ! نجم سیٹھی ۔۔۔ pic.twitter.com/AA40TlPdHY
— AMJAD KHAN (@iAmjadKhann) August 28, 2026
He said that after Imran Khan’s former wife Jemima Goldsmith and her brother realized that a letter signed by 21 former cricket captains had failed to receive international attention, a new approach was adopted. He claimed that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Sky Sports were aware of the plan.
Sethi said the strategy was similar to an earlier approach in which letters were sent to members of the US Congress.
Responding to a question by Syeda Ayesha Naz about Shafi Jan’s claim that two million people would be brought from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sethi said bringing even 20,000 people would be a major achievement, let alone two million, and that they would not be allowed to reach their destination.
He said the real issue was not creating unrest on the streets but restoring trust.
شفیع جان کہہ رہے ہیں 20 لاکھ لوگ ہم لے کر آئیں گے :عائشہ ناز
نہیں لے کر آ سکتے لانے نہیں دیے جائیں گے کہہ دیا گیا ہے یہی ڈیل ہے مگر یہ ڈیل عمران خان تک نہیں ہے نہ خان صاحب ڈیل کرنا چاہتے ہیں نہ اسٹبلشمنٹ مگر اعتماد بڑھانے کے لئے تھوڑی بہت گالی گلوچ کو بند کیا جائے :نجم سیٹھی pic.twitter.com/mPH3Uj47sT— Waqar khan (@Waqarkhan) August 29, 2026
Sethi maintained that neither Imran Khan nor the establishment wanted a complete deal. However, he claimed that there was a “quiet understanding” that abusive language should be stopped and political parties should return to the assemblies and perform their parliamentary responsibilities.
He said around two-and-a-half to three years of the government’s tenure had already passed, with a similar period remaining, after which fresh elections would be held automatically.
