Hamid Mir Says Efforts to Remove Imran Khan from Politics Have Failed

ISLAMABAD:Senior journalist and political analyst Hamid Mir has said that, in his assessment, efforts by powerful circles and the government to remove Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan from active politics have failed to produce the outcome that was expected.

In a vlog, Mir said there had been an expectation that Imran Khan’s imprisonment would bring an end to his political influence, but he argued that Pakistan’s political discourse continued to revolve around the PTI founder.

Mir further said the government and its allies were seeking to keep Imran Khan in prison, while opposition parties were campaigning for his release. His description of Khan’s popularity, including internationally, represents the journalist’s own political analysis rather than an independently established measurement.

Discussing Pakistan’s traditional power politics, Mir said he believed the country was witnessing a shift away from established political practices. He also attributed what he described as growing political engagement among young people to dissatisfaction with the existing political system.

The PTI has continued to prepare for its planned September 27 march towards Islamabad. PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said on September 23 that the party remained committed to the march while keeping channels of communication open.

According to reports published by *Dawn* on September 24, backchannel contacts have taken place between the government and PTI representatives, with sources claiming that certain confidence-building measures were discussed if the march were called off. A government minister has denied that such concessions were offered.

Mir also discussed alleged differences within PTI over proposals relating to new provinces. He said some party members had considered supporting such proposals in exchange for relief for Imran Khan, but that the majority rejected the idea, considering the timing inappropriate.

He further claimed that the government had subsequently attempted to persuade PTI to postpone the march by offering relief to Imran Khan. These claims have not been independently established in the available reporting.

The PTI has publicly maintained that its September 27 mobilisation will proceed unless there is tangible progress on its demands. The party has described the planned march as peaceful and linked it to constitutional and political rights and demands concerning Imran Khan.

The Islamabad High Court has also directed provincial governments to ensure that state machinery, government vehicles, funds and equipment are not used for political marches, while stressing that citizens’ constitutional rights must be protected during protests.