IMAGE REPAIR IN POLITICS: AN ANALYSIS OF IMRAN KHAN’S STATEMENTS IN RESPONSE TO THE SITA WHITE SCANDAL

Abstract

This study examines Imran Khan’s image restoration strategies in his public responses to the Sita White paternity scandal, elaborating on how he sought to manage his political image. Based on William Benoit’s theory of image restoration, it analyzes which distant strategies are employed and how these strategies shifts and evolved over time in relation to shifting socio-political factors in Pakistan. Imran Khan’s statements reported in major English and Urdu language newspapers, as well as selected televised and print interviews following the initial allegations, were collected and subjected to qualitative textual analysis guided by Benoit’s typology. The findings reveals that Khan primarily relied on straightforward denial in the early phase of the scandal, but later incorporated strategies of minimization and bolstering, framing himself as a victim of political motives and highlighting his personal integrity and public service. This research contributes to scholarship on political scandal management by highlighting how a prominent South Asian political figure adapted image repair strategies over an extended period within a changing media and political environment.