![Imran Khan, the leader of Pakistan's political party PTI, has been advocating for nationalism and striving to break the cycle of military rule in the country's political landscape.](https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/pakistan-imran-khan-politics-pti-nationalism-military-rule-06062023-1.jpg?w=519&h=259&crop=1)
For a moment in May, former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan looked as if he was the country’s most powerful man. Having seemingly won his standoff with Pakistan’s military, Khan chided the generals, saying their coercion would achieve nothing. But for the generals, coercion achieved quite a bit. Khan’s moment on top was ephemeral.