Imran Khan Said He Was Fine as Long as Akbar Kept Him Grounded, Claims Akbar S. Babar

ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and founding member Akbar S. Babar has claimed that PTI founder Imran Khan attributed his distancing from Babar to pressure from the establishment at the time.

According to Babar, Imran Khan told him that he had been “fine” as long as Akbar had been keeping him grounded, but that some people had subsequently “sold him out.”

Babar claimed that Imran Khan also said he had not wanted to distance himself from Akbar S. Babar or remove him from his inner circle, but that the establishment at the time had advised him to stay away from Akbar.

The former PTI leader said the alleged statement suggested that some important decisions within the party had been taken under external pressure.

Babar said the message was conveyed to him through a longtime mutual friend of Imran Khan, who is himself currently in jail.

عمران خان نے کہا کہ جب تک اکبر نے مجھے سنبھالا ہوا تھا میں ٹھیک تھا ان لوگوں نے مجھے بیچ دیا پھر انہوں نے کہا میں تو اکبر کو دور نہیں کرنا چاہتا تھا مگر اس وقت کی اسٹیبلشمنٹ نے مجھے کہا کہ اکبر سے دور ہو جاؤ ! اکبر ایس بابر 🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/QESZkQgg3Q

— AMJAD KHAN (@iAmjadKhann) August 13, 2026

According to Babar, Imran Khan conveyed that after being released from prison, he would first visit Akbar S. Babar’s home. He also expressed a desire to bring together former PTI founding members, disgruntled leaders and workers who had been associated with the party during its early years.

Babar claimed that Imran Khan described those who had supported PTI during its formative period as an asset to the party and as his sincere colleagues. He said Khan had acknowledged that the absence of several individuals who played roles in establishing the party and its early struggle had always been felt.

According to Babar, Imran Khan’s message emphasised the need to bring such people back into the party and reunite them on a common platform.

Babar said that after receiving the message, he began contacting disgruntled founding leaders and workers of PTI.

He added that a four-member committee had also been formed under the leadership of former PTI Punjab Senior Vice President Rana Sohail. The committee includes former PTI founding leaders Amin Zaki and Faisal Pirzada, as well as Insaf Students Federation (ISF) founding leader Asif Ahmed.