It Is Very Difficult to End Imran Khan’s Popularity, Najam Sethi Says
ISLAMABAD: Senior journalist and analyst Najam Sethi has said that it would be extremely difficult to eliminate PTI founder Imran Khan’s popularity, while also commenting on the political decline of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the reasons Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was not named in the contempt of court petition.
Speaking on his programme, Sethi said Imran Khan was the only leader in Pakistan’s political history who had remained a “hero” from the very beginning.
He argued that even former prime ministers Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto had not achieved the same level of popularity. According to Sethi, despite what he described as extensive efforts by the establishment, Imran Khan’s popularity has not been eliminated.
Sethi also criticised the PML-N, saying the younger generation had little liking for the party because it had become an old and outdated political force. He said the party was once considered anti-establishment but was now largely sidelined.
نئی جنریشن ن لیگ کو پسند نہیں کرتی یہ پرانی گھسی پٹی پارٹی ہے آج کی ن لیگ لیٹی ہوئی ہے جب تک عمران خان کی سپورٹ کم نہیں ہو گی ان کا نمبر نہیں لگے گا ! سیٹھی ۔
وہ کرزما کہاں سے لائیں وہ بت کیسے ٹوٹے گا؟ عائشہ ناز ۔
یہ بہت مشکل سوال ہے اور ابھی تک ن لیگ کو اس کا جواب نہیں ملا !… pic.twitter.com/xOlbck3fla— AMJAD KHAN (@iAmjadKhann) August 23, 2026
Regarding the decision not to name Mohsin Naqvi in the contempt of court petition, Sethi rejected PTI’s reported explanation that Naqvi was not included because he had not made a statement on the matter.
He described that position as weak, claiming that Imran Khan would soon be shifted to a hospital and that Naqvi was the key figure through whom back-channel negotiations and communication were being facilitated.
Sethi said that if PTI had issued a contempt notice against Naqvi, it could have complicated the ongoing discussions.
The senior analyst further claimed that an understanding had already been reached behind the scenes and that the matter had been temporarily delayed because of objections concerning the naming of Shifa International Hospital in the court proceedings.
According to Sethi, under the reported understanding, Imran Khan would eventually be transferred to a hospital. In return, he claimed, PTI would withdraw its September 27 long march call and return to parliamentary and committee proceedings.
Sethi added that PTI was unlikely to publicly acknowledge such an understanding because of its political narrative.
