Imran Khan, leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), is planning to pursue the chancellorship of Oxford University while serving a ten-year prison sentence.
This development follows the resignation of Lord Patten, 80, who stepped down after a 21-year tenure, as reported by The Telegraph.
The chancellor at Oxford University serves as a ceremonial figurehead, a position traditionally held for life by a distinguished public personality who oversees significant university events.
This year, for the first time, the election for the chancellor will be held online, enabling participation from the university’s 350,000-member convocation.
Khan is currently jailed on charges related to inciting protests and violence against the military last May, accusations he disputes.
From his prison cell, he recently commented, “I am held in a tiny death cell, typically reserved for terrorists. The public’s support for me stems from their dissatisfaction with the current governance in Pakistan.”
Khan, an alumnus of Keble College, Oxford, where he studied Economics and Politics in 1972, also captained the university’s cricket team.
He made his debut for Pakistan’s Test cricket team in 1971 and served as Bradford University’s chancellor from 2005 to 2014.Syed Zulfi Bukhari, Khan’s advisor on international media, has confirmed his candidacy, driven by public demand.
“We will officially announce it once we have Khan’s approval and commence the signature campaign,” Bukhari stated.
