Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan seeks Oxford chancellor role from prison
The former British governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten has recently resigned from his post as chancellor of the University of Oxford in February.
Imran Khan Seeks Oxford Chancellor Role as the ousted former Prime Minister of Pakistan, currently behind bars on charges of corruption and sedition, has filed an application for the prestigious position at the University of Oxford, according to his party. Imran Khan, who led Pakistan from 2018 to 2022, has recently completed one year in jail, claiming that the charges against him are politically motivated and intended to stifle his political activity. This move by Khan has drawn widespread attention, intertwining his legal struggles with his ambitions on the global academic stage.
The London-based spokesman for Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari said “Imran Khan had given instructions that he would like to submit his application and now the application scrutiny will take place.” He further added “It’s a ceremonial post but one with utmost prestige and importance and Imran Khan, being one of the larger or more popular names coming out of Oxford, it would be brilliant to see him as chancellor.”
The former British governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten, a Conservative peer, has recently resigned from his post as chancellor of the University of Oxford in February. Based on the information obtained on the university’s website, the list of contenders for the post which comes with the tenure of 10 years will be announced in the first two weeks of October while the election process will take place at the end of the month. Imran Khan is keen on securing the valued post, as he is an alumni who graduated from Oxford in 1975 after attaining his degree in Philosophy,politics and economics.
Imran Khan was famous for his playboy image during his cricketing days and was often photographed for the British tabloids. He lived a very colorful private life, including his thrice marriage, which one was to Jemima Goldsmith, a British socialite and filmmaker. Thereafter, Khan moved to philanthropy and then to politics in the later stages of his life.
In his term as Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan was accused by women’s rights activists after the latter made comments linking rape in the country to the attire of women. After becoming unpopular in 2022 when he was politically removed from power, Khan declared his interest to return to power while fiercely attacking the military elites who embraced him before. His endeavors also attracted thousands of people on the streets which was a depiction of his authority and popularity.
According to British media reports, other notable candidates for the Oxford chancellorship include prominent alumni such as former foreign secretary William Hague and former EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson. Bukhari said “If he does become the chancellor, he would be the first of Asian descent. It wouldn’t be something only for Pakistan, but it would be a great achievement for all of Asia and the rest of the world.”
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