Claim: Imran Khan said “no one understood but the Israeli newspaper has praised me and said I am the only leader in Pakistan with credibility.”
Fact: This statement is being falsely linked to Imran Khan. PTI’s former digital strategist Imran Ghazali confirmed that Khan did not give this statement. Moreover, Khalid Yousaf, Khan’s lawyer, also denied the claim to Soch Fact Check
On 23 September 2024, a photograph was widely circulated on social media platforms attributing the following statement to Imran Khan:
کوئی نہ سمجھا اسرائیلی اخبار نے میری تعریف کی لکھا واحد پاکستانی لیڈر ہوں جس کی ساکھ ہے : عمران خان۔
[Translation: Nobody understood the Israeli newspaper has praised me and said that I am the only leader in Pakistan with credibility: Imran Khan]
Background
On 15 September 2024, an article titled “Redrawing Israel’s geopolitical map on Abraham Accords’ anniversary – opinion” was published by the Jerusalem Post. Since then, it became a subject of much controversy and was widely analysed by the press with mainstream news organisations treating it as a vindication of Imran Khan. The relevant excerpt from the article can be read below:
“PAKISTAN IS an interesting case in point. Although it has maintained a policy position that was pro-Palestinian for a long time, recent years have seen an occasional sign of its desire to improve relations with Israel. Former prime minister Imran Khan – despite his strong rhetoric against Israeli policies – hinted at Pakistan needing to forge its own foreign policy path. This was particularly pertinent at a time when the rest of the Muslim world began to normalize ties with Israel on the basis of self-interest. Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Party winning 93 National Assembly seats in the country’s recent election his influence – or perhaps the emergence of another like-minded and equally pragmatic leader – could bring opportunities for reevaluating the extent to which Pakistan can afford to reconsider its historic hostility toward Israel, particularly in the face of its ongoing deep economic crises.
For Pakistan, normalisation with Israel would bring about significant economic benefits, including technological support in agriculture, cybersecurity, and defence, not to mention potential financial investment, among other things. In 2022 alone, trade between Israel and the UAE jumped 124% to $2.59 billion year-on-year exhibiting the potential.
A more diversified foreign policy on Pakistan’s part could also bring with it strategic benefits as it navigates its own complex relationships with both India and Afghanistan. But for that, a strong resistance from within its own military establishment, which has long held back full-blown normalisation with Israel, would need to change. A change in leadership would most probably also be needed for any resolution to move forward, and figures like Khan could very well be central in changing both public opinion and military policy alongside of course, the continuous evolution of regional dynamics.”
Following this article, several Pakistani news channels like Express Tribune, Dunya News, Dawn News, 92 News, The Nation, Samaa TV reported on the Jerusalem Post article.
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check found that Imran Khan had shared a statement in response to the national news coverage in the Jerusalem Post article on 23 September 2024, the same day as the claim. This statement was also shared with us by Imran Ghazali, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) former digital strategist. It was also shared on PTI’s official Instagram and X accounts, it has been reproduced below:
کل سے پراپیگنڈہ کیا جا رہا ہے، میں اسرائیل سے تعلقات کا خواہاں اور بڑا حامی ہوں، اسرائیلی اخبار میں لکھا گیا کہ میری مغربی ممالک اور مُسلم امہ میں credibility ہے- لگتا ہے ان کو انگریزی سمجھ نہیں آتی- اسرائیل کے حوالے سے میرا موقف آج بھی وہی ہے،اسرائیل فلسطینیوں کی نسل کُشی کر رہا ہے، پہلے سیز فائر کرے، آپ پہلے دو ریاستی حل کی جانب جائیں پھر آپ سے بات چیت ہوگی، عمران خان۔۔
[Translation: Propaganda has been going on since yesterday that I am a big supporter of relations with Israel. The Israeli newspaper only said that I have credibility in Western countries and among the Muslim ummah as well. It seems as if they do not understand English. My stance on Israel is still the same, that Israel is carrying out a genocide of Palestinians. First they have to do a cease-fire, then commit to the Two-States solution and only then can we have further discussions with them.]
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Facebook page also shared a video recorded by journalist Imran Riaz Khan who reads out the entire statement given by Khan which is embedded in the context of his stance on the two-state solution and the end to genocide.
This statement is entirely different from the one that is being shared in the claim. The claim only extracts one part of the original statement:
“The Israeli newspaper only said that I have credibility in Western countries and among the Muslim ummah as well.” In his original statement, Khan further clarified that he sticks with his earlier stance of the two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, and that he is not in the favour of beginning any discussions with Israel unless it accepts the two-state solution as well.
Soch Fact Check also got in touch with Imran Khan’s legal team, they told us that Khalid Yousaf is currently the primary contact person who goes to the Adiala jail to meet with Imran Khan. Yousaf told us after meeting Imran Khan, that this statement is entirely being used out of context to falsely imply that Khan supports Israel.
Virality
On Facebook, we found that the claim was shared here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. These posts received more than 4,500 interactions and 1000 comments and shares on the platform.
The statement was also reported out of context by Jang, and Geo. The Jang newspaper has an average daily circulation of 850,000 and a readership of over 8 million. Geo News was estimated to have 8.2 million viewers in 2012 by Gallup & Gilani Research Foundation Pakistan.
Conclusion: The statement is being reported out of context.
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Background image in cover photo: Worldcrunch
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