Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan has formally applied to become the next chancellor of Oxford University in the United Kingdom. The jailed former prime minister's decision comes after Chris Patten, the current chancellor of the UK university, announced that he would be stepping down.
As per Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), Khan formally submitted his request for the post of chancellor.
The Oxford alumnus, "Despite being unlawfully incarcerated for over a year, Khan remains committed to his principles and the causes he champions,” said Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari, the London-based spokesperson for PTI.
Speaking to news agency AFP, the PTI spokesperson added that Khan had laud out the instructions for submitting the application and now that it has been sent, the application scrutiny will take place.
“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,” stated Bukhari, adding that if Khan is selected, he would be the first person of Asian descent to hold the post.
“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,” Bukhari added.
Khan's candidature for the post of Oxford Chancellor comes after Chris Patten announced in February that he would be stepping down from the post.
As per Oxford University, the list for the next chancellor, who will stay in office for 10 years, will not be disclosed to the public before October 2024.
Before his hopeful stint at Oxford, Imran Khan served as the chancellor of the University of Bradford from 2005 to 2014.
Khan graduated from Oxford University in 1975 and earned a degree in philosophy, politics and economics. After graduating, Khan proceeded to lead a "playboy lifestyle" as a cricket player with the Pakistani Cricket Team.
After retiring from cricket, Khan turned to philanthropy and politics and served as the prime minister from 2018 to 2022.
In 2022, the PTI chief was ousted as PM after losing the vote of confidence in the Parliament. After his ouster, Khan has been imprisoned and incarcerated for various corruption charges, all of which have been denied by him.
