On Tuesday afternoon, former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was arrested on corruption charges. He will appear in court soon. Here’s everything about him.
Posted on – Wed, 10 May 23 at 03:44pm
Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was sacked last April, was arrested on corruption charges on Tuesday afternoon. His supporters had been protesting across the country when he appeared in court, causing widespread unrest.
Who is Imran Khan?
Many in the 90s will remember Imran Khan, 70, as captain of the Pakistan cricket team that won the country its first and only World Cup title. Many now see him as a troubled politician.
Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi was born into a wealthy family in Lahore. His father was a civil engineer and he has four sisters. He is from the Pashtun ethnic group, also known as Pathan. He had a privileged education growing up and graduated from Keble College, Oxford University in 1972.
He was married three times. He married his first wife, British-born Jemima Goldsmith, in 1995, when he was a star cricketer fresh from winning the World Cup for his country. The couple divorced in 2004.
In 2015, he married journalist Reham Khan, and they divorced a few months later. She later went on to criticize several of Khan’s political initiatives. He then married his spiritual mentor Bushra Bibi in 2018.
cricket career
He made his cricket debut for Lahore’s home team at the age of 16. He also played English country cricket while at Oxford. He made his cricket debut in 1971 against England and began playing regularly for the Pakistan national team in 1976.
An all-rounder, he was particularly known for being one of the fastest bowlers in the world at the time, bowling at around 140 km/h. He was named captain in 1982 and led his side to their first Test victory on English soil at Lord’s.
Among the many other victories that bear his name, Khan’s career high as captain and cricketer came when he led Pakistan to victory in the 1992 Cricket World Cup. Interestingly, he has since retired and was recalled to join the team in 1988 by the then President of Pakistan, General Zia-ul-Haq.
Political career
After winning the World Cup, he attempted to turn that popularity around and launch his political career. He launched his political party, Pakistan Justice Movement, in 1996. However, he struggled for a few years before gaining some momentum until 2011.
His populist, anti-corruption and anti-American messages have helped him win support across the country, with tens of thousands of people flocking to his rallies. He is often described as a nationalist politician.
Khan became prime minister in 2018 after gaining the support of military leaders who play an important role in Pakistani politics. He is best known for introducing a new foreign policy for the country that has largely moved away from the United States and closer to Russia and China.
charges and arrests
Although Khan came to power with an anti-corruption mandate, he was charged with the same. He was accused of favoring real estate tycoon Malik Riaz Hussain.
Among other things, he was accused of mishandling the company’s finances and feuding with the military over his leadership and responsibilities. That’s what experts say cost him his seat.
He was sacked in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in April 2022 and was later injured when a man opened fire on him at a political rally in November. Many called it an assassination attempt on him.
He now faces a slew of charges, including corruption and terrorism. He has publicly claimed that the government and military have falsely accused him and conspired against him.
Khan was arrested on Tuesday in a case involving the transfer of land for Al-Qadir University near Islamabad. Aside from the protests across the country, the Pakistani rupee and bonds fell to new lows.
