Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan seeks chancellorship of Oxford University from prison – Rising Kashmir

Imprisoned former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has applied to become the next chancellor of Britain's Oxford University, his party said on Monday.

The Oxford graduate “officially submitted” the application through Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari, the London-based spokesman for Khan's Pakistan Movement for Justice (PTI), the party said on social media platform X.

“Pakistan's national hero and former Prime Minister Imran Khan, founder and chairman of Pakistan's largest political party PTI, a cricket legend, a philanthropist and an Oxford University graduate, is running for the position of Chancellor of Oxford University, all while in prison,” the PTI post said.

“Despite being unlawfully detained for over a year, Khan remains true to his principles and the causes he represents. Zulfi Bukhari has confirmed that the application has been officially submitted,” it said.

The announcement by Khan's party comes after Chris Patten, the last British governor of Hong Kong, announced his resignation as chancellor of Oxford University in February, Al Jazeera reported.

However, the list of candidates for the ten-year term will not be published until October, according to the university's website, and voting is scheduled to take place at the end of the month.

Khan graduated from the university in 1975 with a degree in philosophy, politics and economics.

During his career as one of Pakistan's greatest cricketers, he led a playboy life, according to Al Jazeera, and regularly graced the pages of British gossip magazines.

The former Pakistani prime minister was married three times, including to British socialite and filmmaker Jemima Goldsmith. He also served as chancellor of Bradford University from 2005 to 2014. Khan later devoted himself to philanthropy and politics, serving as Prime Minister of Pakistan from 2018 to 2022.

Khan was ousted from the prime minister's office in 2022 when he lost a confidence vote. He then launched a strong comeback campaign, attacking the Pakistani military, whose top generals had once supported him, and drawing huge crowds to the country's streets.

Khan was arrested in August last year on charges ranging from corruption to incitement to violence. He recently spent a year in prison.

The PTI founder described these allegations as “politically motivated” and aimed at keeping him out of power, Al Jazeera reported. (ANI)