Since January 3, posts from multiple users on social media platform It was claimed that it ranked in the top 25. However, Imran did not make it into the top 50 and was selected as an honorable mention.
The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center (RISSC) is a research institute based in Amman, Jordan. The organization has published an annual report entitled “500 Most Influential Muslims” since 2009, recognizing and highlighting individuals who have made significant contributions to the Muslim community.
We also include an “Honorable Mentions” section featuring notable figures who may not have made the main list but still have an impact in their own right. These mentions are often seen as a gesture of recognition rather than a formal ranking.
On January 3, Pakistani Sikh journalist Harmeet Singh shared a screenshot of the “Top 50 and Honorable Mention List by Category” section of the 2025 “Muslim 500” report.
The post states, “The Royal Center for Islamic Strategy, a Jordanian organization, ranked Imran Khan 24th on its list of the world’s 500 most influential Muslims in 2025. However, Imran Khan is still in prison,” the caption read.
The post received 92,700 views.
Journalist Jameel Farooqi also shared a similar claim, which received 15,000 views.
An account highlighting trends in entertainment and news also shared this claim with the caption: “Imran Khan honored as one of the 25 most influential Muslims.”
This post has been viewed by 115,700 people and reshared 2,000 times.
A video of anchor Samina Pasha was shared by the official X account of PTI West Punjab wing with the following caption: “Imran Khan’s name is included in the top 25 most influential Muslims in the world. The list also includes kings of Arab countries, including the Saudi crown prince. Imran Khan is the only one from Pakistan. Imran Khan is an influential figure despite being in prison Samina Pasha.
The same claims were widely shared by other users, as seen here, here, here, here, and here.
Meanwhile, former PTI propagandist turned critic Farhan Virk insisted otherwise, saying: “Another PTI scam has been found! After seeing this tweet, I downloaded the full version for 2025 and Imran Khan’s name was not in the first 50 names. From Pakistan, Mufti Taqi・The names of Usmani and Maulana Tariq Jameel are mentioned. They are fabricating the images by posting old versions.”
His post received 63,600 views and other anti-PTI users also shared the same allegations.
A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim, due to its viral nature and strong public interest in news about Imran.
Checking the 2025 edition, contrary to the claims of both pro-PTI and anti-PTI posts, Mr. Imran was indeed included at number 24 in the honorable mention list of rulers and politicians, but not among the top 50 in the ranking. It was not included in the person.
As for how the top 50 and honorable mentions list worked, the list said: “The top 50 individuals are ranked and listed first.The remaining 450 names are then listed (not ranked) in the influence category to recognize their outstanding contributions in the field. A small number of names will also be selected for the Honorable Mention section.
As a result, Mr. Imran was listed 24th in the Honorable Mention of Rulers and Politicians and was not ranked 24th. He wasn’t even in the actual ranked top 50 list.
Therefore, Fact Check determined that the claim that Imran was ranked 24th on the 2025 list of 500 Most Influential Muslims is misleading. The jailed politician is not ranked in any major top 50 list, but is listed at number 24 in the “Honorable Mentions” section of the report for rulers and politicians. The report revealed that unlike the top 50 rankings, the order of honorable mentions has no meaning.
This fact check was originally published by iVerify Pakistan, a project of CEJ and UNDP.
