Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi, popularly known as Imran Khan, is a former prime minister of Pakistan and the incumbent chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Imran Khan Age:
Imran Khan, a cricketer-turned-politician, is a philanthropist and an international celebrity. He was born in Lahore on October 5, 1952. He is currently 71 years o]ld.
Education:
Imran Khan studied at the Cathedral School and then Aitchison College in Lahore. Later, he went to the Royal Grammar School, Worcester. He completed his education with an undergraduate degree in Economics, Political Science and History from Keble College, Oxford. He was made captain of the Oxford University cricket team in 1974.
As Top All-rounder:
Imran Khan became one of the top all-rounders in the cricketing world after joining the Pakistan cricket team. He remained captain of the Pakistan cricket team for almost 10 years. His cricketing career in the national team started with his debut in 1971 and ended with the historic World Cup win in 1992.
Cricketing Career:
Imran Khan started playing cricket at the age of 13 and made his first-class cricket debut at the age of 16 in Lahore. In 1970-71, he played for domestic teams like Lahore A, Lahore B, Lahore Greens and Lahore. At the age of 18, Khan made his debut for the Pakistan National Cricket Team and played against England in 1971 at Edgbaston.
In August 1974, Khan made his debut in One-Day International (ODI) and played against England at Trent Bridge. After graduating from Oxford, Khan returned to Pakistan in 1976 and started playing in the Pakistan cricket team regularly. He played against New Zealand and Australia. He met Tony Greig on his West Indies tour and Tony signed Imran Khan for Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket. This series proved impactful in Imran Khan’s growth and grooming in cricket.
Top Test Cricket Rating of Imran Khan:
In 1982, Imran Khan took 62 wickets in 9 Test matches at the rate of 13.29 wickets per match. In January 1983, he achieved a Test bowling rating of 992 points while playing against India.
Imran Khan speed in Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket:
Imran Khan took part in the 1978 Perth World Bowling competition and came third in bowling at the speed of 139.7 km/h. Jeff Thomson and Michael Holding were ahead of Khan. Khan mastered the ‘reverse swing’ bowling technique and then transferred this technique to iconic Pakistani bowlers Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis.
Imran Khan Marriages:
Marriage with Jemima Goldsmith:
On May 16, 1995,Imran Khan married the 21-year-old Jemima Goldsmith at the age of 43. They have two sons together, Sulaiman Isa and Kasim. On June 22, 2004, the couple divorced after nine years of marriage because it was “difficult for Jemima to adapt to life in Pakistan”.
Marriage with Reham Khan:
In January 2015, Imran Khan married British-Pakistani journalist Reham Khan at an intimate ceremony at his residence in Islamabad. However, Reham Khan stated in her autobiography that they got married in October 2014 but the announcement was made a bit late. On October 22, 2022, the couple announced divorce.
Marriage with Bushra Bibi:
In early 2018, Imran Khan married his spiritual mentor Bushra Bibi. According to Aun Chaudhry Former PTI senior Leader and Imran Khan’s Advisor , they both were married earlier and declared their Nikhah as illegal and un-Islamic. On January 7, 2018, PTI central secretariat issued a statement that Imran Khan proposed Bushra Bibi, but she had not yet accepted his proposal. On February 18, 2018, PTI confirmed Khan has married Bushra Bibi.
Daughter:
Imran Khan has no daughter officially declared but it is claimed that he has a daughter Tyrian Jade with his former girlfriend Sita White.
Father and Mother details:
The name of defiant politician Imran Khan ’s father is Ikramullah Khan Niazi, who died in March 2008 at the age of 85. His mother Shaukat Khanum died in 1985 due to cancer, a moment that motivated him to build a cancer hospital in Pakistan.
Brothers and Sisters:
Imran Khan has four sisters – Aleema Khanum, Uzma Khanum, Rubina Khanum and Rani Khanum – while he has no brother.
Sons:
Imran Khan has two sons Qasim and Suleman who are living with their mother Jemima Goldsmith.
Property:
According to the details submitted by Imran Khan, the defiant political and former Prime Minister Imran Khan owns a house in Bani Gala, Islamabad and another in Zaman Park, Lahore. He also owns a flat and a commercial plot on Constitution Avenue in the federal capital.
Books:
Imran Khan has published six works of non-fiction, including an autobiography co-written with Patrick Murphy. He has also authored a book titled Main Aur Mera Pakistan on the modern history of Pakistan in 2014.Apart from these books, he wrote other books included Indus Journey: A Personal View of Pakistan, Pakistan: A Personal History, All Round View, Imran Khan’s Cricket Skills and others.
Tiktok following:
Imran Khan hit nearly 3 million TikTok followers and 200 million views in 24 hours after joining TikTok.
Twitter Account following:
2.9Million followers and 4.9M Likes
Imran Khan as philanthropist and educationist
Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer and Research Center:
Imran Khan is also known in Pakistan and globally for his philanthropic work. He launched the biggest crowd funding campaign to make his dream of building a cancer hospital in Pakistan a reality. Finally, he was able to complete the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Center (SKMCH&RC), a world class health facility for the treatment of poor cancer patients in Pakistan, on December 29, 1994. Today, the hospital treats 70 percent of its patients for free. In the last 29 years, the hospital has spent over Rs50 billion on the treatment of poor patients.
As Chancellor of Bradford University:
Apart from sports and politics, Imran Khan set up Namal University in his hometown of Mianwali. The Namal University is affiliated with Bradford University of UK. He served as chancellor of Bradford University from November 23, 2005, to February 26, 2014. Finally, he stepped down as Bradford University chancellor in November 2014 citing his political commitments.
Imran Khan joins Politics
On April 25, 1996, Imran Khan jumped into politics and founded his own political party with the name Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) or the Pakistan Justice Movement. In the 2002 general elections, Khan won a single seat in the National Assembly from his hometown of Mianwali.
boycotts 2008 General Election:
In 2008, Khan and his party boycotted the general elections. He opposed the US-administered drone strikes in Pakistan and Pakistan’s role in the US-led War on Terror. He raised over one billion rupees for survivors of the 2005 earthquake in Pakistan.
2013 General Elections:
On October 30, 2011, Imran Khan held a historic public gathering at Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore. In the 2013 general elections, Imran Khan’s PTI emerged as one of the leading parties in the Centre and formed government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
2018 General Elections:
In 2018, Imran Khan’s PTI won a good number of seats in the Centre, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He made a coalition government in the Centre and Punjab and an independent government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. On August 17, 2018, Imran Khan became the 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan and on August 18 he took the oath of his office.
political turmoil:
On April 10, 2022, Khan was removed from power through a vote of no-confidence led by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), an alliance of 13 political parties.
In October 2022, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) ‘found’ Khan guilty of “corrupt practices” and disqualified him as a member of the parliament.
Political tension between his party and ruling coalition started heightening from the start of the 2023 as he dissolved assemblies in stronghold Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for snap elections in the country. As the federal government was reluctant to go for early elections, he was stick to launch political drive. In March this year when was set to launch the campaign, police launched an action against his party workers at his Zaman Parks residence, ensuing violent clashes.
During the clashes police arrested several PTI workers, including Ali Bilal aka Zille Shah. The die-hard fan was taken to a hospital in Lahore in unconscious condition where he was pronounced dead. As the case about his death sub-judice, mystery prevails on it with conflicting claims from the PTI and government.
Imran Khan survives gun attack:
In November 2022, Imran Khan came under a gun attack in the Wazirabad town of Punjab while leading an anti-government rally. He survived the attack, but received three bullets in his legs.
Imran Khan’s arrest in Al-Qadir Trust Case:
Fast forward to May 9, 2023, Khan was arrested by the paramilitary forces on the premises of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in the Al-Qadir Trust case. On May 10, a lower court in Islamabad handed over Khan to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on a physical remand.
Controversies
PTI MNA Ayesha Gulalai Allegations:
On August 1, 2017, PTI MNA Ayesha Gulalai accused her party chief Imran Khan of harassing her and claimed that she had been receiving offensive messages from him since October 2013.
Imran Khan popularity:
Fame (have heard of) =80%
Popularity = (liked by)19%
Disliked by=26%
Neutral=36%
FOREIGN POLITICIANS: 15TH RANKED IN THE WORLD
The Myth of an Anti-establishment Imran Khan’s Image
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan adopted a firm stance against the army after being disposed in last year April 2022. Later, he vehemently struggled to reconcile the notion that the institution responsible for his ascent to power could so suddenly withdraw its support. He consciously gestured against the establishment, in particular former Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa, has given a sense of him being anti-establishment. In fact, it proved nothing less than a myth.
The political Analysts opine that Imran’s politics shows he is the most pro-establishment leader in Pakistan. Truly speaking, Imran Khan’s cabinet members, like Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Sheikh Rashid, and Fawad Chaudhry, had earlier served under military dictator Pervez Musharraf. It is true to say that many electables were attached to his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) at the behest of the Pakistan Army during 2018 Elections. Former Army Chief Bajwa and former ISI head Faiz Hameed left no stone unturned to bring Khan to power. Former ISI chiefs Ahmad Shuja Pasha and Zaheerul Islam, who played a key role in propping Khan up, continue to make speeches in his favor.
Imran Khan and General Bajwa:
Imran Khan tried to avert the no-confidence motion by going as far as offering another extension to Bajwa. Imran Khan has made multiple attempts to reconcile with the establishment and urged it to bring him back to power. President Arif Alvi facilitated meetings between Khan and Bajwa to arrive at some working arrangements through reconciliation. President Alvi also served as a bridge between Khan and former Army Chief Bajwa. The most significantly, the political history witnesses itself that many members of the PTI are kin of former members of the establishment like Ghulam Ishaq Khan’s grandson Taimur Khan Jhagra, Ayub Khan’s grandson Omar Ayub Khan, Zia-ul Haq’s son Ijaz-ul-Haq, and Chaudhary Pervez Elahi, president of the PTI, who joined the party on Bajwa’s instructions.
Imran Khan and General Asim Munir:
Imran Khan and General Asim Munir had had a long and old love and hate story. The Clash between two Titans started when Gen. Munir was was unceremoniously removed from his post as director-general of Inter-Services Intelligence (DG ISI) in June 2019. General Munir presented Imran Khan a documented proof of his wife’s corruption. In fact, Imran Khan fought tooth and nail to prevent Munir from becoming the army chief. After failing to prevent Munir’s appointment as the chief of army staff, Khan tried every bit to mend the path with him without success. The army under Asim Munir continued to toe the line set out by his predecessor, Bajwa, of being apolitical and neutral. Probably, it was a signal to Khan that the army would not back him. Imran Khan also started a political battle against the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), the ruling coalition, with frequent overtures to the establishment. He tried his best to exert pressure on the establishment either. He insistently attacked the army’s leadership indirectly until May 6, when he openly accused Major General Faisal Naseer, the ISI’s director-general for counterintelligence, and a close aide of Munir, of carrying out an assassination attempt in November. As a response, the army’s public relations wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), issued a strongly worded statement deeming Khan’s remarks baseless and warned him of legal action.
On the contrary, Imran Khan, released a video message challenging ISPR’s statement on 9th May 2023. Later, Khan was arrested by Rangers at the Islamabad High Court. Khan was set free with the Supreme Court’s intervention and bail from the Islamabad High Court.
Arrest on Illegal Selling of State Gifts:
On 5th August 2023, Imran Khan was arrested in a case of state gifts sale and corruption by the Punjab Police. The court sentenced him to three years imprisonment in jail and fined Imran Khan 100,000 rupees. Lately, Imran Kahn has been sent to Attock Jail, in a cell of category-C.
Nawaz Sharif vs Imran Khan:
Imran Khan criticized Nawaz Sharif who rose to power by playing double games and support of Pakistan Army. On the contrary, it is not a secret that Imran khan himself was not elected but selected for the premiership of Pakistan by a group of Army Generals who hated Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari. Gen Bajwa himself admitted the unconstitutional role of Army in the Pakistani politics just few days before his retirement and assured that the Army will remain apolitical in the future. Imran Khan believed that Gen Bajwa’s setup is still active in the establishment and will interfere in future.
