In the complex and often chaotic theatre of Pakistani politics, few figures have inspired as much devotion and division as Imran Khan. Once hailed as the harbinger of 'Naya Pakistan', his first term in office ended in disappointment and political isolation. Now, from behind bars and under sustained political exclusion, he paradoxically stands as the most popular leader in the country.

But popularity does not equate to power, and even less so to reform. If he is to return to office — not just in name, but in effectiveness — Imran Khan must fundamentally rethink his approach. He must become what he wasn't in his first term: a pragmatic reformer grounded in strategy rather than idealism, and institution-building rather than rhetoric.

His first term (2018-2022) was filled with soaring ambitions but lacked the capacity and discipline to fulfil them. The anti-corruption crusade became tainted by selective accountability. His appointments — notably in Punjab — undermined governance. Economic management was erratic, swinging from populist subsidies to IMF dependency.

Above all, Khan failed to convert his mass appeal into a coherent policy framework capable of reforming Pakistan's entrenched institutions. This inability wasn't just about external conspiracies or establishment betrayals, as he often claimed. It reflected an internal contradiction between his transformative rhetoric and transactional politics.

Imran Khan's current position is more precarious yet also more historically charged than ever. He is no longer the preferred choice of the establishment, whose support was once indispensable to his........

© The Express Tribune