Jailed former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has suffered another major blow. The reason is that Oxford University in the UK did not include his name in the list of candidates for the position of president. Approximately 40 candidates have been included in the list and their candidacy has been approved.
In fact, Imran Khan has already submitted his nomination papers for the post. A prominent British law firm said he was ineligible to hold the post of chancellor of Oxford University under the university’s rules because he was in prison.
A statement issued by the university after the list was released said, “In the first round of voting, voters will have the opportunity to rank as many candidates as possible. The top five candidates will advance to the second round of voting, with the second Balloting will take place during the Michaelmas term (beginning November 18) “The General Assembly will be held during the sixth week of Michaelmas to elect the new Rector.”
The university will conduct this election online to enable its global community of colleagues and alumni to participate. “The first round of voting will take place during the third week of the Michaelmas term (the week beginning October 28). Further voter registration is currently not possible,” the university said.
Oxford University: Candidates’ statements do not represent the views of the University
The University of Oxford says it is introducing an open application process for the first time to attract applicants from a variety of backgrounds. The Chancellor’s Search Committee considers all applications solely based on the specific exclusion criteria set forth in University Rules. The candidate’s statement of interest is reproduced exactly as it should be. His words and opinions are his own. Candidate statements do not reflect the views of the University of Oxford, and the University cannot guarantee their factual accuracy.
Former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bradford
Imran Khan reportedly lived a playboy lifestyle during his career as one of Pakistan’s greatest cricketers and regularly appeared in the pages of British gossip magazines, Al Jazeera reported. The former prime minister of Pakistan was married three times, including to British socialite and film producer Jemima Goldsmith. He also served as Chancellor of the University of Bradford from 2005 to 2014. Since then, Imran Khan turned to politics and served as the Prime Minister of Pakistan from 2018 to 2022.
Ousted in 2022
Imran Khan was removed as prime minister in 2022 after losing a vote of confidence. He then launched a vigorous counter-campaign, blaming the Pakistan Army, whose leading generals had backed him. During this period, there were also large-scale protests on the streets of Pakistan.
Imran Khan was imprisoned in August last year on multiple charges including corruption and inciting violence. He recently served a year in prison. Imran described the charges as “politically motivated” and said they were brought to distance him from power, Al Jazeera reported.
