Imran Khan, the imprisoned former prime minister of Pakistan, has reportedly sought to be the next chancellor of Oxford University, following the announcement in February by Chris Patten, the esteemed institution's current chancellor, that he would be leaving his post.
Khan “formally submitted” the request via Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari, the London-based spokesman for Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the party said on the social media platform X (formerly knows as Twitter).
“Pakistan's national hero and Former Prime Minister Imran Khan, founder and chairman of Pakistan’s biggest political party PTI, a cricketing legend, a philanthropist and an alumnus of Oxford University, is running for the position of Chancellor of Oxford University, all while being imprisoned. Despite being unlawfully incarcerated for over a year, Khan remains committed to his principles and the causes he champions. Zulfi Bukhari has confirmed that the application has been formally submitted,” the post reads.
Talking to AFP , Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari said that Imran Khan had given instructions that he would like to submit his application and now the application scrutiny will take place.
"Having him as chancellor would be fantastic. He would be the first person of Asian heritage to hold the position of chancellor. It would be a significant accomplishment for all of Asia and the rest of the world, not just for Pakistan,” he said.
Voting is scheduled for the end of October, and the university's website states that the list of candidates will not be available to the public until then.
Khan was detained in August of last year and recently completed one year behind bars on a number of allegations ranging from inciting violence to corruption. Khan claims that these accusations are in we tended to prevent him from taking office and are motivated by politics, reported Al Jazeera.
Khan’s Educational, Professional Qualifications
Imran Khan has studied philosophy, politics, and economics and then went on to get a degree from the Oxford University in the year 1975, according to Al Jazeera.
From 2005 until 2014, he also held the position of chancellor at the University of Bradford. Afterwards, he went to politics and philanthropy, and from 2018 to 2022, he led Pakistan as prime minister. After losing a vote of confidence, Khan was removed from office in 2022.
