ISLAMABAD: With the latest change in Imran Khan’s stance on the government change plot, the number of U-turns by the former prime minister may have crossed a century. Imran Khan’s only consistent policy on which he has never taken a U-turn is to “take a U-turn on almost every statement.”
Imran described the U-turn as a sign of leadership. On November 18, 2018, Imran Khan justified and defended his actions by tweeting that “Taking a U-turn to reach a goal is the hallmark of great leadership, just as lying to save ill-gotten wealth is the hallmark of crooks.”
After coming to power, Khan along with his cabinet reneged on most of the promises made to the nation before winning the 2018 elections. The U-turn policy has remained a permanent part of Khan’s strategy even after he was ousted from government.
Below is a list of Imran Khan’s famous U-turns that he has taken over the years.
1- On March 27, 2022, Imran Khan addressed a public meeting in Islamabad and claimed that America was behind the opposition’s no-confidence motion and conspiracy against his government. Later he changed as many as four positions on this statement of American conspiracy.
2- At a time when he claimed to be plotting to change the US government, his party was contracting with an American lobbying firm to mend relations with the US administration and create a positive image of the party.
3- Imran Khan changed his stance on the US conspiracy and alleged that a powerful establishment is behind the no-confidence motion. If not, he could have stopped the conspiracy against his government.
4- Imran once again changed his stance on the American conspiracy theory and this time he named Nawaz, Zardari, Maulana Fazal and others as the real role of the operation government.
5- As if this was not enough, Khan once again changed his position on the government change plot and claimed that caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi was behind the change of operation system.
6-Now finally Imran Khan has taken a 360 degree U-turn and said that the conspiracy to change the government was not an import but an exported conspiracy.
7- After being removed from the post of Prime Minister, Imran questioned the logic of the army chief’s meeting with the opposition leaders. Meanwhile, the media revealed that Khan also met the then Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa.
8- Imran warned his party leaders and members of the National Assembly not to meet any foreign diplomat during the no-confidence motion. However, later not only PTI leader but Imran Khan also met the diplomats.
In the 9-no-confidence motion, Khan claimed that the opposition parties were trying to buy the votes of his party members. An audio leak later revealed that Khan himself was trying to rig votes to save his government.
10-During his government, Imran Khan declared Army Chief General Bajwa as pro-democracy military chief. But after being ousted from power, Imran called them Mir Jafar and Mir Sadiq.
11-Offered extension to General Bajwa in return for saving his government. However, after being removed as prime minister, Imran criticized Bajwa.
12-As Prime Minister, Imran boasted that he had all the powers but when he was deposed, he changed his stance and said that he was a toothless head of government.
13- Khan claimed several times that intelligence agencies had briefed him about Nawaz Zardari’s corruption. However, after being thrown out of power, he changed his stance and said that the establishment wanted to save Nawaz and Zardari.
14- Imran Khan and his government defended the cases filed against journalists under the PECA Ordinance and this act but now they are criticizing the government for the cases against journalists under the same act which his government It was passed in the era of
15- After the no-confidence motion was successful, Imran Khan asked his MNAs to resign from the National Assembly. However, he later ordered his MNAs to return to Parliament and withdraw their resignations.
16- Imran Khan and his party leaders announced that they would not be a part of this imported parliament and contest by-elections but later Khan himself contested eight of the nine vacant seats.
17- Imran Khan and his party leaders announced that Khan would contest the election on all the vacant seats in the National Assembly, but later decided that PTI candidates would contest the vacant seats.
18- Imran Khan visited Russia when the host country was about to start a war. He later defended himself by saying that he did not know that Russia would start a war during his visit.
19- Imran Khan and his party leaders claimed that Khan had finalized a deal with Russia to supply oil at cheaper rates. The Russian government clarified that no agreement was signed in this regard.
20- Imran always took credit for introducing neutral umpires in cricket but when his government was overthrown, Imran criticized the military leadership and said that only animals can be neutral.
21- Imran Khan said that he will never negotiate with the governments of thieves. They will only interact with the military leadership. However, now PTI has offered to negotiate for elections.
On 22 November 2021, the Khan government allowed India to use Pakistan’s airspace for aircraft flying from Indian Occupied Kashmir. Later it was learned that the Foreign Office was not taken into confidence and the Khan government withdrew the decision on the Foreign Office’s reservations.
23- On November 1, OGRA sent a summary of petroleum price hike. Rejecting the summary, Khan said he would not put additional burden on the public. However, within five days, he made a U-turn and increased the prices of petroleum.
24- Khan termed the recent Peshawar attack as a security failure of the government but it was his government that negotiated with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.
Before the no-confidence motion on 13-25 March 2022, Khan addressed a public rally saying that he had not come to the government to check the prices of tomatoes and potatoes. After being removed from the government, Khan constantly reminded the government about the prices of basic commodities and inflation.
26- Imran Khan criticized the establishment for being neutral at a time when his government was being toppled. However, they now claim that General Retired Bajwa was behind the removal of their government.
27- Imran Khan named PPP leader Syed Khursheed Shah as PA (Zardari’s Personal Assistant). However, during the election of the Senate Chairman, Imran Khan stood behind Khurshid Shah in the press briefing.
28- In 1997, Khan began his politics by criticizing the role of the military establishment in politics, but later voted for Pervez Musharraf to elect him as the uniformed president of the country.
29- Imran Khan became a member of the National Assembly during the Musharraf era but later turned against him. Musharraf later claimed that Imran wanted 100 seats from him.
30- The gifts of Tosha Khana for Imran Khan, when given to other rulers, they belong to the state, but when they received these gifts, they immediately sold them.
31- Imran Khan always criticized the electables and declared that he will never accept these electables in his party. But later he formed his government in Punjab with the help of these electables.
32- Imran Khan hated turncoats, but after the 2010 Awami Jalsa he accepted all the turncoats who chose to join his party. Chaudhry Pervez Elahi held General Ahmed Shuja Pasha responsible for this move at that time.
33- Imran publicly promised that he would never use anyone’s shoulder to get to power but later admitted that agencies used to help him by bringing in parliamentarians before any important legislation.
34- In February 2022, the Imran Khan government agreed to implement new petroleum and electricity prices in a written agreement with the IMF but violated the agreement by taking a U-turn within three weeks.
35- Imran Khan always criticized the amnesty scheme and termed it as a scheme to launder black money. However, his government introduced several such schemes and his close associates like Farah Khan benefited from the scheme.
36-Tehreek Labeek Pakistan (TLP) was the party of Ashiqan Rasool when Imran Khan was not in power. However, when they protested during Imran Khan’s rule, Khan took action against them.
37- Imran Khan government decided to take action against TLP in the national security meeting but within two days of this decision Khan government made a deal with TLP and released all the arrested workers.
38- Imran Khan had promised that he would never bring a large entourage on any foreign trip, but the media has reported several times that Khan visited with a large entourage.
39-Khan criticized the metro bus and his own government started the metro bus project in Peshawar.
40-Imran Khan had promised that he would never defend any corrupt element but he publicly defended Khan’s close associate Farah Khan despite serious allegations.
41- Imran Khan appointed the current Chief Election Commissioner in his government and gave good remarks about him. However, later he changed his stance and leveled charges against them.
42-Khan also had a good opinion of former Chief Election Commissioner Fakhruddin Ji Ibrahim, but after the 2013 elections, he also turned against him.
43- Imran had promised that his Azadi March would be peaceful but when the march reached Jinnah Avenue Islamabad, it turned violent and burnt trees and other properties there.
44-When Asia Bibi was released on the order of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, there were protests across the country against her. Imran Khan’s government decided that they will not compromise on national security and deal with the protesters with an iron hand. However, Khan’s government signed an agreement with the protesters.
45- Imran Khan’s government told the Islamabad High Court that disclosing the details of Tosha Khana is a matter of national security. However, it was later revealed that Khan sold all the gifts he received from different countries.
46-Khan who claimed that the details of Tosha Khana were a state secret during his own rule. But it started demanding to reveal the details of other governments as well.
47-Before the elections, Imran Khan had promised that he would not live in the Prime Minister’s House. After being sworn in as Prime Minister, it was first announced that he would stay in the Speaker House, then the decision was reversed and the media was told that he would stay in the Punjab House. However, he is now settled in the PM House where he resides in the Military Secretary House.
48-Protocol will never be found while being the Prime Minister, Imran had promised the nation before the election. However, he is not only using the six luxury vehicles reserved for the Prime Minister, but is also being accorded all other protocols as the Prime Minister of the country.
49- Imran Khan used to give examples that the Prime Minister of Holland can travel on a bicycle, so why our Prime Minister cannot walk. However, after being elected as Prime Minister, Imran Khan goes to Bani Gala from PM House by helicopter.
50- Imran Khan used to call the former Chief Minister of Punjab the biggest dacoit of Punjab. However, after the success in the general elections, Parvez Elahi is not only Imran Khan’s main ally, but PTI also elected him as the Speaker of the Punjab Assembly. Imran Khan also gave a few seats to Parvez Elahi’s party in the provincial and federal cabinets.
Before the 2018-51 general elections, Imran Khan called the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) a terrorist party. He also once announced that he would file a complaint against the MQM chief in the UK. However, after the victory in the general elections, MQM is not only Imran Khan’s ally, but it has also given him important positions in the federal cabinet.
52- Federal Information and Broadcasting Minister Fawad Chaudhry told reporters a day after Imran Khan was sworn in as Prime Minister that he would not travel abroad during the first three months. However, Imran Khan has made at least five foreign visits, including two to Saudi Arabia and one each to the United Arab Emirates, China and Malaysia.
53- “I won’t even hire Sheikh Rashid as my peon,” Imran Khan claimed on a TV talk show a long time ago. However, Sheikh Rasheed is not only a member of Imran Khan’s cabinet, but he is also one of his key advisors.
54-During the first cabinet meeting of the government led by Imran Khan, it was decided that the prime minister and his cabinet will not use a special plane for their foreign visits. The Prime Minister and his cabinet will travel by commercial flights. But Imran Khan has used Air Force One, a special plane for the Prime Minister, in all his foreign visits. Even Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood used a chartered plane for his visit to Afghanistan.
55- Imran Khan used to criticize his political opponents for nepotism. He always promised to appoint qualified people to important posts because he is against nepotism. However, all his close friends including Zulfi Bukhari, Naeem ul Haq, Aun Chaudhry have been given some role in his government.
56- Imran Khan had promised the nation that he would not tolerate political interference in the police and would bring reforms in the Punjab police. He promised to appoint Nasir Durrani – former IGP KP as the head of the Police Reforms Committee. However, after the DPO Pakpattan incident, Durrani resigned as the head of the committee in protest against political interference in the police department.
57- “I will not take corrupt people in my team,” Imran promised the nation before the general elections. However, several important members of his provincial and federal cabinet are facing NAB cases, including Pervaiz Khattak, Aleem Khan and Zulfi Bukhari.
58- “I would rather commit suicide than beg the IMF,” Imran promised the nation before the elections. However, he has not only approved his finance minister to get a bailout package from the IMF, but he has also approached other countries for financial assistance to bring Pakistan out of economic crisis.
59- Dr. Arif Alvi while talking to the media after being elected as the President of Pakistan said that he will not stay in the President’s House. However, he has also moved to the President’s House.
60- During the second meeting of the cabinet, Imran Khan banned the foreign visits of his cabinet members. But, he himself accompanied half a dozen ministers on each of his foreign visits. In his recent visit to China, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Finance Minister Asad Umar, Trade Adviser Abdul Razzaq Dawood, Railway Minister Sheikh Rasheed, Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal and others accompanied the Prime Minister.
61- Imran Khan announced that his government would grant citizenship to Afghan and Bengali citizens. However, the decision was later withdrawn due to unknown reasons.
62- After the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif as the Prime Minister, Imran told the nation that he will not allow an incompetent person to run the affairs of the party. However, Jahangir Tareen played a key role in forming the PTI government in Punjab as he brought many independent candidates on the PTI platform. In fact, Imran Khan made him the convener of the Task Force on Livestock and Agriculture.
63- Imran Khan promised that he would depoliticize the bureaucracy. But Imran Khan’s continuous meddling in the party’s bureaucracy over the past three months has given rise to several controversies. Transfer of DPO Pakpattan, transfer of IG Punjab and Islamabad are few examples of PTI government’s interference in bureaucracy.
64- Before coming to the government, Imran Khan used to criticize the political influence in the affairs of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). He promised to depoliticize the PCB. However, after coming to power, he nominated his close friend Ehsan Mani for the post of Chairman PCB.
65- Imran Khan promised to keep his cabinet short and appoint up to 20 ministers. However, the federal cabinet is almost double what it promised.
66- Imran Khan promised in his first address to the nation that he would answer the questions of the parliamentarians every week during the parliamentary session. However, despite the passage of 100 days, Imran Khan has attended only seven of the 28 sessions of the National Assembly.
67- Imran promised to make Pakistan a state of Medina where everyone will be equal and there will be no concept of VIP. However, the recent events of Azam Swati, Mian Mehmood-ur-Rashid’s son and Imran Shah are some examples of the VIP culture in the new Pakistan.
68- Imran Khan and many other leaders of PTI claimed that they will bring back the looted money of about 200 billion dollars to Pakistan after coming to the government. Cabinet members have now clarified that the $200 billion figure was not accurate and was based on assumptions.
69- Imran Khan and his close associate Asad Umar used to criticize the previous government for increasing the price of petroleum. He promised to devise a proper mechanism for determining petroleum prices. He also promised to reduce the petroleum levy and eventually reduce the price of petroleum. However, after coming to power, his government has doubled the price of petroleum.
70- Imran had promised to reduce the price of electricity after coming to power. However, the PTI government has increased the electricity prices by Rs 2 per unit.
71-In the past, Imran Khan and Asad Umar criticized the previous government for increasing gas prices and promised to reduce the prices of natural gas. However, Imran Khan’s government has increased gas prices by 143%, which is the highest increase in the recent past.
72- At the time of merger of South Punjab Sabah Front with PTI, Imran Khan had promised that a resolution would be passed in the Parliament for the establishment of a new province in Punjab. However, no resolution was presented in the Parliament in the first hundred days of the government.
73- Imran promised that the Prime Minister, Chief Minister and Governor Houses will be converted into educational institutions. However, not only Imran Khan has shifted to the Prime Minister’s House, but his party’s chief ministers and governors have also shifted to the Chief Minister’s and Governor’s houses.
74- Imran Khan took another U-turn on the formation of the Economic Advisory Council. After appointing Atif Mian as a member of the EAC, his government asked him to step down as he could not face pressure from religious parties and groups.
75- Imran Khan’s adviser on trade Abdul Razzaq Dawood issued a controversial statement about CPEC. In an interview with the Financial Times, Dawood revealed that the government is planning to review the CPEC projects. However, after criticizing the PTI government, the advisor ate his words.
76-He used to criticize Nawaz Sharif for inaugurating various development projects because in his opinion this work should have been done by the head of the concerned department. Then the public saw him go against his own preaching when he inaugurated the Rawalpindi-Mianwali Express the next day. Durrani did not comment on this.
77- Imran Khan promised that he will never welcome electables into his party because they blackmail governments. However, Imran Khan is one of the electables in recent elections. He also justified his decision to welcome electables into his party by saying that he knows the art of contesting elections.
78- Imran Khan promised that he will not include any NAB tainted person in his party or cabinet. However, many leaders, including Defense Minister Pervez Khattak, Zulfi Bukhari, who are facing NAB investigation, are also members of the federal cabinet. Punjab government senior minister Aleem Khan is also facing NAB inquiry.
79- Imran Khan used to criticize previous governments for including dual citizens in important government posts. But Zulfi Bukhari is the biggest example in Imran Khan’s government who has dual citizenship.
80- Imran Khan had promised that the nation would see a clear change in the first 100 days of his rule. However, he later said that his government should be given at least six months to review their performance. Now some PTI ministers have started claiming that they did not talk about 100 days.
