Here is the full text of the interview with Imran Khan, as featured in Sunday Magazine:
Sunday Exclusive: Interview With Imran Khan
Date: December 6, 2022
Sunday had the honor of exclusively interviewing the man of the hour, amid his Long March. Here is the inside scoop from Imran Khan’s container!
On Youth and Struggle
Question: What would you like Pakistan’s youth to learn from your struggles and vision?
Answer: "A life without struggle is a waste of human potential." It is indeed struggles that make a man worthy and discover their true potential; it is essential to ensure you are struggling in the right direction.
As a child, my mother would often tell me to pray to be on the right path. And while growing up, I realized all the role models I used to look up to deviated from the right path and their direction. Over my life’s journey, my experiences, and numerous struggles, I was lucky enough to discover the right path and differentiate the right from the wrong which led me to let go of my glamorous and careless lifestyle and be more focused on life.
The straight path is indeed very difficult but gives you inner peace. While the other path may seem glamorous, it brings great inner torment and a life crisis. Thus, it’s imperative to remain grounded in your roots, identify the right path, and never shy away from struggles to be truly worthy and successful.
Role Models
Question: Who is someone you would ask the youth of Pakistan to look up to?
Answer: Arshad Sharif! He is someone everyone should admire and look up to because he was the epitome of bravery. As someone who knew his life was in danger, and he was continuously threatened, he left the country not because he was scared, but because he had choked his voice and could no longer speak the truth.
To speak the truth, and not deviate from the path to justice, is living a life with a cause. If I was a young Pakistani or an aspiring journalist, I would look up to him. People like him are heroes that give life to society, and whom we should all look up to.
Leadership Qualities
Question: What’s an important quality a great leader must have?
Answer: Any great leader must have three qualities. All the Messengers of Allah were leaders, and Our Prophet (PBUH) was the greatest leader of all times.
Their mission is above the "self": They think above and beyond themselves, but rather for the betterment of society. Overcoming your ego is most important to uncover your potential. Great leaders like Quaid-e-Azam and Mandela had a vision beyond themselves.
They are always Truthful: Our Prophet’s two greatest qualities were ‘Sadiq’ and ‘Ameen’. They are truthful and just. If a leader is not truthful and fair then that hinders his credibility and ability to command respect.
They must be courageous: A coward and a leader together are a contradiction in both terms, so a leader must be brave and fierce.
Making Life Decisions
Question: What do you recommend children and the youth to keep in mind when making an important life decision?
Answer: I tell my children, the greatest thing you can achieve is to overcome your fear. Fear is something that hinders you from achieving your potential. Many great cricketers were unable to achieve the level of the glory of their potential because they perhaps feared fast bowlers or the pressure of the game.
A verse of the Quran should be everyone’s mantra in guiding them: "Those who have faith, Allah removes their fears." No great soldier or entrepreneur has ever been successful without taking risks. Faith and being close to religion are what truly removes your fears. Knowing that success, livelihood, respect, and your life is all in Allah’s hands gives you a whole new sense of empowerment.
Motivation and Routine
Question: How do you remain positive and fit, amid all your daily stressors and exhausting routine amid the long march?
Answer: It’s the goal. It’s the vision that keeps me going. If this was for personal gains or my career, I would have given up 26 years ago. I wouldn’t imagine politics as a career! It makes no sense to go around asking for votes. When politics is for a mission, and you follow the path of all the Prophets, it becomes sacred. It’s the greater cause and the vision that keeps you going despite all the hardships and failures.
Question: What is the daily morning ritual that keeps you going?
Answer: Purpose! My purpose and the mission that I embarked on 26 years ago are on my mind. Motivation comes from striving for your vision and accepting that there will be good and bad days. Success never comes easy; it always comes in cycles. Failures are a time of self-analyzing and reflecting on your mistakes to come out stronger.
Fashion and Fitness
Question: From a loved politician to a fashion icon; how do you plan your outfits?
Answer: All the credit goes to Bushra Bibi, who plans and decides on my behalf, and pairs up my shalwar kameez with a waistcoat. I am not used to wearing designer clothes, and since I’ve chosen Shalwar Kameez to wear, my life has become more accessible. My wardrobes have been entirely managed by Bushra Bibi for four years, since our marriage.
Question: What is the secret to your vitality and fitness?
Answer: The more you put your body under stress, the better it functions. What does it mean to put your body under pressure? It means to engage your body in exercises. Always be careful about what you eat and how much you exercise.
Another reason why I am so fit is that I fast regularly. What happens when you fast? Your body and every organ get a message that it’s not getting sufficient food, and hence every organ works hard to perform its function. When organs are brought into a state of stress, they function better than before, and that is one of the reasons why I am fit, even at the age of 70.
