Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan will contest for the post of Chancellor of Oxford University

Imprisoned former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has applied to become the next Chancellor of Britain’s Oxford University, his party said on Monday. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said on social media that Oxford alumnus Imran has ‘formally’ made the request through the party’s London-based spokesperson Syed Zulfiqar Bukhari.

“Pakistan’s national hero and former prime minister Imran Khan, a great cricketer, philanthropist and an alumnus of Oxford University, is contesting for the post of Chancellor of Oxford University while in prison,” the PTI post said. “Despite being illegally imprisoned for over a year, Imran Khan remains committed to his principles and his cause. Zulfi Bukhari has confirmed that the application has been formally submitted,” it added.

Al Jazeera According to the report, this announcement by Imran Khan’s party comes after the announcement made by Hong Kong’s last British Governor Chris Patten in February, in which he said that he was resigning from the post of Chancellor of Oxford.

However, according to the university’s website, the list of candidates will not be made public until October and voting will take place at the end of October. Let us tell you that Imran Khan graduated from Oxford University in 1975. He studied philosophy, politics and economics.

Al Jazeera During his career as one of Pakistan’s greatest cricketers, Imran Khan reportedly led a playboy lifestyle and regularly graced the pages of British gossip magazines, according to the BBC.

The former Prime Minister of Pakistan married three times, including to British socialite and filmmaker Jemima Goldsmith. He also served as Chancellor of Bradford University from 2005 to 2014. After this, Imran Khan turned to politics and served as the Prime Minister of Pakistan from 2018 to 2022.

Imran Khan was removed from the post of Prime Minister in 2022 when he lost the vote of confidence. After this, he started a strong comeback campaign by blaming the Pakistan Army, whose top generals had once supported him. During this time, big protests were also seen on the streets of Pakistan.

Imran Khan was jailed in August last year on several charges ranging from corruption to inciting violence. Recently, he has completed one year in jail. Al Jazeera According to the report, Imran has called these allegations ‘politically motivated’ and said that these allegations have been made to keep him away from power.