In an unexpected development, Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, has applied for the position of Oxford Chancellor, and that too from his prison cell. Despite being behind bars, former Prime Minister Imran Khan is seeking the role of Oxford Chancellor. Khan has formally submitted his application through his party’s representative, Syed Zulfiqar Bukhari, who resides in London and is a spokesperson for PTI (Pakistan Tehreek e Insaaf).
As per Oxford University’s website, the list of candidates applied for the post of chancellor for the 10-year time will remain private until October. However, at the end of August, the voting is going to take place.
Imran Khan studied politics, philosophy, and economics at the same prestigious university and graduated in 1975. Later, he turned his career towards politics and remained the Prime Minister of Pakistan from 2018 to 2022, until he was ousted by a vote of no confidence against him in 2022. On the other hand, the London-based PTI spokesperson, Syed Zulfi Bukhari, while talking to AFP, stated:
“Imran Khan had given instructions that he would like to submit his application, and now 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 Oxford chancellor.”
Bukhari further stated, “If he does become the Oxford 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.”
It is pertinent to mention here that the former Oxford chancellor was Chris Patten, the last British governor of Hong Kong. He stepped down from his post as Oxford chancellor in February of this year, and following this, Khan has applied for the position.