Imran Khan

This article is about the politician and former cricketer. For other people with the same name, see Imran Khan (disambiguation).

Imran Khan HI PP FRCPE
عمران خان
Khan in 2023
19th Prime Minister of Pakistan
In office 18 August 2018 – 10 April 2022
President	Mamnoon Hussain Arif Alvi
Preceded by	Nasirul Mulk (caretaker)
Succeeded by	Shehbaz Sharif
Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
In office 25 April 1996 – 2 December 2023
Vice-Chairman	Shah Mahmood Qureshi
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Gohar Ali Khan
Member of the National Assembly
In office 13 August 2018 – 21 October 2022
Preceded by	Obaidullah Shadikhel
Constituency	NA-95 Mianwali-I
Majority	113,523 (44.89%)
In office 19 June 2013 – 31 May 2018
Preceded by	Hanif Abbasi
Succeeded by	Sheikh Rashid Shafique
Constituency	NA-56 Rawalpindi-VII
Majority	13,268 (8.28%)
In office 10 October 2002 – 3 November 2007
Preceded by	Constituency established
Succeeded by	Nawabzada Malik Amad Khan
Constituency	NA-71 Mianwali-I
Majority	6,204 (4.49%)
Chancellor of the University of Bradford
In office 7 December 2005 – 8 December 2014
Preceded by	Betty Lockwood
Succeeded by	Kate Swann
Personal details
Born	Imran Ahmad Khan Niazi (1952-10-05) 5 October 1952 Lahore, West Punjab, Pakistan (present-day Punjab, Pakistan)
Political party	Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (since 1996)
Spouses	Jemima Goldsmith ​ ​ (m. 1995; div. 2004)​ Reham Khan ​ ​ (m. 2015; div. 2015)​ Bushra Bibi ​ (m. 2018)​
Children	2
Relatives	Family of Imran Khan
Residences	Bani Gala, Islamabad, Capital Territory Zaman Park, Lahore, Punjab
Education	Keble College, Oxford (B.A.)
Awards	See list
Signature
Nickname(s)	Kaptaan (Captain) Qaidi No. 804 (Prisoner No. 804)
Personal information
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm fast
Role	All-rounder
International information
National side	Pakistan (1971–1992)
Test debut (cap 88)	3 June 1971 v England
Last Test	2 January 1992 v Sri Lanka
ODI debut (cap 175)	31 August 1974 v England
Last ODI	25 March 1992 v England
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC LA Matches 88 175 382 425 Runs scored 3,807 3,709 17,771 10,100 Batting average 37.69 33.41 36.79 33.22 100s/50s 6/18 1/19 30/93 5/66 Top score 136 102* 170 114* Balls bowled 19,458 7,461 65,224 19,122 Wickets 362 182 1287 507 Bowling average 22.81 26.61 22.32 22.31 5 wickets in innings 23 1 70 6 10 wickets in match 6 0 13 0 Best bowling 8/58 6/14 8/34 6/14 Catches/stumpings 28/– 36/– 117/– 84/–
Medal record Men's Cricket Representing Pakistan ICC Cricket World Cup Winner 1992 Australia and New Zealand World Championship of Cricket Runner-up 1985 Australia ACC Asia Cup Runner-up 1986 Sri Lanka Austral-Asia Cup Winner 1986 United Arab Emirates Winner 1990 United Arab Emirates
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 5 November 2014

Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi (born 5 October 1952) is a Pakistani politician and former cricketer who served as the 19th prime minister of Pakistan from August 2018 until April 2022. He is the founder and former chairman of the political party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) from 1996 to 2023. He was the captain of the Pakistan national cricket team throughout the 1980s and early 1990s.

Born in Lahore, Khan graduated from Keble College, Oxford. He began his international cricket career in a 1971 Test series against England. Khan played until 1992, served as the team's captain intermittently between 1982 and 1992, and won the 1992 Cricket World Cup, Pakistan's only victory in the competition. Considered one of cricket's greatest all-rounders, Khan was later inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.

Founding the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in 1996, Khan won a seat in the National Assembly from his hometown of Mianwali, in the 2002 general election. PTI became the second-largest party by popular vote in the 2013 election, and five years later, running on a populist platform, PTI formed a coalition government with independents with Khan as prime minister. Khan's government addressed a balance of payments crisis with bailouts from the IMF. Limiting defence spending, he presided over a shrinking current account deficit, leading to some general economic growth, helped by policies increasing tax collection and investment. His government advocated for transforming Pakistan into a welfare state, committed to a renewable energy transition, launched Ehsaas Programme and the Plant for Pakistan initiative, and expanded the protected areas of Pakistan. He presided over the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused economic turmoil and rising inflation in the country. In April 2022, during a constitutional crisis following the Lettergate affair, Khan became the first Pakistani prime minister to be removed from office through a no-confidence motion.

In October that year, on account of the Toshakhana reference case, Khan was disqualified by the Election Commission of Pakistan from taking office for one term of the National Assembly of Pakistan. In November, he survived an assassination attempt during a political rally in Wazirabad. In May 2023, Khan was arrested on corruption charges at the Islamabad High Court by paramilitary troops. Protests broke out throughout Pakistan, some of which escalated into violent riots. Khan was sentenced to a three-year jail term in August 2023 after being found guilty of misusing his premiership to buy and sell gifts in state possession. He was subsequently sentenced to ten years in prison in early 2024 for leaking state secrets and violating the Official Secrets Act in the Lettergate affair, and an additional seven years for breaching Islamic marriage laws with his wife; both of these sentences were overturned in mid-2024. Khan has since been charged on matters related to the 2023 riots and clashes between his supporters and police in September 2024.

Early life and family

Further information: Family of Imran Khan

Khan was born in Lahore on 5 October 1952. Though some sources state he was born on 25 November 1952, Khan has said that this mistake stemmed from that date being written erroneously on his passport. He is the only son of Ikramullah Khan Niazi, a civil engineer, and his wife Shaukat Khanum, and has four sisters. Long settled in Mianwali in northwestern Punjab, his paternal family are of Pashtun descent and belong to the Niazi tribe, and one of his ancestors, Haibat Khan Niazi, in the 16th century, "was one of Sher Shah Suri's leading generals, as well as being the governor of Punjab." Khan's maternal family, of the Burki tribe of Pashtuns, has produced a number of cricketers, including those who have represented Pakistan, such as his cousins Javed Burki and Majid Khan. Maternally, Khan is also a descendant of the Sufi warrior-poet and inventor of the Pashto alphabet, Pir Roshan, who hailed from his maternal family's ancestral Kaniguram town located in South Waziristan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. His maternal family was based in Basti Danishmanda, Jalandhar in Punjab, India for about 600 years, and migrated to Lahore after the independence of Pakistan.

A quiet and shy boy in his youth, Khan grew up with his sisters in relatively affluent, upper middle-class circumstances and received a privileged education. He was educated at the Aitchison College and Cathedral School in Lahore, and then the Royal Grammar School Worcester in England, where he excelled at cricket. In 1972, he enrolled in Keble College, Oxford where he studied philosophy, politics and economics, graduating in 1975. An enthusiast for college cricket at Keble, Paul Hayes, was instrumental in securing the admission of Khan, after he had been turned down by Cambridge.

Personal life

Khan had numerous relationships during his bachelor life. He was then known as a hedonistic bachelor and a playboy who was active in London's nightlife, frequently visiting venues such as Tramp in St James's. Many of his girlfriends are unknown and were called "mysterious blondes" by British newspaper The Times. During the 1980s and 1990s, Khan was regarded as one of the most eligible bachelors.

His first girlfriend, Emma Sergeant, an artist and the daughter of British investor Sir Patrick Sergeant, introduced him to socialites. They first met in 1982 and subsequently visited Pakistan. She accompanied him on various Pakistani cricket team tours including tours in Peshawar and Australia. She made several artistic portraits of Khan during their relationship. Khan's residence in Chelsea, near Sergeant’s studio and Tramp nightclub, became a central location for his social activities. After long separations, his relationship with Sergeant ended in 1986.

Jonathan Orders, a member of the MCC committee and a Wykehamist, facilitated Khan's connections between Eastern and Western social spheres. Orders introduced Khan to Susie Murray-Philipson, whom Khan later invited to Pakistan and had dinner with in 1982. He also had a brief relationship with Susannah Constantine, whom he met through Lulu Blacker. Their relationship lasted about a year without leading to marriage. Additionally, Julia Verdin and Doone Murray were among the women associated with Khan during this period, with their relationships receiving media attention.

Some of the other women with whom he was associated with during this period include Zeenat Aman, Sarah Crawley, Stephanie Beacham, Goldie Hawn, Marie Helvin, Caroline Kellett, Liza Campbell, Anastasia Cooke, and Hannah Rothschild. Khan stated that residing in Pakistan was a requirement for a serious relationship.

Ana-Luisa White, daughter of British industrialist Gordon White, who later adopted the name Sita, was prepared to convert to Islam. Their relationship ended when White became pregnant. Later, she claimed that Khan is the father of her daughter, Tyrian Jade, born in June 1992. White continued to keep a framed photograph of Khan despite their breakup. Tyrian became the subject of a legal dispute in 1997 when a California court declared Khan as the father without a DNA test. Khan denied paternity and called for a paternity test in Pakistan, stating he would accept the decision of the courts of Pakistan. After White's death in 2004, Jemima, Khan's wife at the time and a friend of Sita, was designated by Sita as the legal guardian of Tyrian in her will. Khan stated that Tyrian would be welcome to join their family in London, leaving the decision entirely up to her, given her established relationship with his and Jemima's sons.

In August 1992, Khan began dating Kristiane Backer, a German-born MTV host. Their relationship lasted nearly two years, during which he introduced her to Islam. After their relationship had ended, she converted to Islam following a meeting with Khan in 1995.

On 16 May 1995, Khan married Jemima Goldsmith, in a two-minute ceremony conducted in Urdu in Paris. A month later, on 21 June, they were married again in a civil ceremony at the Richmond registry office in England. Jemima converted to Islam upon marriage. The couple have two sons, Sulaiman Isa and Kasim. On 22 June 2004, it was announced that the couple had divorced, ending the nine-year marriage because it was "difficult for Jemima to adapt to life in Pakistan."

In a 2009 book, Christopher Sandford claimed that Khan and Benazir Bhutto had a close relationship when both were students in Oxford. He wrote that Bhutto at the age of 21 first became close to Khan in 1975. They remained in a relationship for about two months. His mother also tried to have an arranged marriage between them. He further claimed that they had a "romantic relationship", which was refuted by Khan who said they were only friends.

In January 2015, it was announced that Khan had married British-Pakistani journalist Reham Khan in a private Nikah ceremony at his residence in Islamabad. Reham Khan later states in her autobiography that they in fact got married in October 2014 but the announcement only came in January the year after. On 22 October 2015, they announced their intention to file for divorce.

In mid-2016, late 2017 and early 2018, reports emerged that Khan had married his spiritual mentor (murshid), Bushra Bibi. Khan himself, alongside PTI aides, as well as members of the Manika family, denied the rumour. Khan termed the media "unethical" for spreading the rumour, and PTI filed a complaint against the news channels that had aired it. On 7 January 2018, the PTI central secretariat issued a statement that said Khan had proposed to Manika, but she had not yet accepted his proposal. On 18 February 2018, PTI confirmed Khan has married Manika. According to Khan, his life has been influenced by Sufism for three decades, and this is what drew him closer to his wife. The Mufti who conducted the marriage later testified to a court that Khan's nikah had been conducted twice. The first nikah was conducted on 1 January 2018, while his to-be wife was still in her Iddat, as Khan believed he would become prime minister if he married her on that date.

Khan resided in his sprawling farmhouse at Bani Gala. As of 2018, he owned five pet dogs, who resided in his estate.

Cricket career

Khan made his debut at the age of 16 in Lahore. By the start of the 1970s, he was playing for his home teams of Lahore A (1969–1970), Lahore B (1969–1970), Lahore Greens (1970–1971), and eventually Lahore (1970–1971). Khan was part of the University of Oxford's Blues Cricket team during the 1973–1975 seasons. Khan played English county cricket from 1971 to 1976 for Worcestershire. During this decade, other teams represented by Khan included Dawood Industries (1975–1976) and Pakistan International Airlines (1975–1976, 1980–1981). From 1983 to 1988, he played for Sussex.

Khan's bowling statistics as a cricketer from 1971 to 1991.

Khan made his Test cricket debut against England in June 1971 at Edgbaston. Three years later, in August 1974, he debuted in the One Day International (ODI) match, once again playing against England at Trent Bridge for the Prudential Trophy. After graduating from Oxford and finishing his tenure at Worcestershire, he returned to Pakistan in 1976 and secured a permanent place on his native national team starting from the 1976–1977 season, during which they faced New Zealand and Australia. Following the Australian series, he toured the West Indies, where he met Tony Greig, who signed him up for Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket. His credentials as one of the fastest bowlers in the world started to become established when he finished third at 139.7 km/h in a fast bowling contest at Perth in 1978, behind Jeff Thomson and Michael Holding but ahead of Dennis Lillee, Garth Le Roux, and Andy Roberts. During the late 1970s, Khan was one of the pioneers of the reverse swing bowling technique. He imparted this trick to the bowling duo of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, who mastered and popularised this art in later years.

As a bowler, Khan initially bowled with a relatively chest-on action, at medium-pace; however, he worked hard to remodel his action to a more classical type, and to strengthen his body, to enable fast bowling. Khan attained his prime as a fast bowler in January 1980 till 1988 when he became out and out fast bowler. During this span Imran picked 236 test wickets at 17.77 apiece with 18 five-wicket hauls and 5 10 wicket hauls. His bowling average and strike rate were better than Richard Hadlee (19.03), Malcolm Marshall (20.20), Dennis Lillee (24.07), Joel Garner (20.62), and Michael Holding (23.68). In January 1983, playing against India, he attained a Test bowling rating of 922 points. Although calculated retrospectively (International Cricket Council (ICC) player ratings did not exist at the time), Khan's form and performance during this period ranks third in the ICC's All-Time Test Bowling Rankings.

Khan achieved the all-rounder's triple (securing 3000 runs and 300 wickets) in 75 Tests, the second-fastest record behind Ian Botham's 72. He also has the second-highest all-time batting average of 61.86 for a Test batsman playing at position 6 in the batting order. He played his last Test match for Pakistan in January 1992, against Sri Lanka at Faisalabad. Khan retired permanently from cricket six months after his last ODI, the historic 1992 Cricket World Cup Final against England in Melbourne, Australia. He ended his career with 88 Test matches, 126 innings and scored 3807 runs at an average of 37.69, including six centuries and 18 fifties. His highest score was 136. As a bowler, he took 362 wickets in Test cricket, which made him the first Pakistani and world's fourth bowler to do so. In ODIs, he played 175 matches and scored 3709 runs at an average of 33.41. His highest score was 102 not out. His best ODI bowling was 6 wickets for 14 runs, a record for the best bowling figures by any bowler in an ODI innings in a losing cause.

Captaincy

At the height of his career, in 1982, the thirty-year-old Khan took over the captaincy of the Pakistan cricket team from Javed Miandad. As a captain, Khan played 48 Test matches, of which 14 were won by Pakistan, 8 lost and the remaining 26 were drawn. He also played 139 ODIs, winning 77, losing 57 and ending one in a tie.

In the team's second match, Khan led them to their first Test win on English soil for 28 years at Lord's. Khan's first year as captain was the peak of his legacy as a fast bowler as well as an all-rounder. He recorded the best Test bowling of his career while taking 8 wickets for 58 runs against Sri Lanka at Lahore in 1981–1982. He also topped both the bowling and batting averages against England in three-Test series in 1982, taking 21 wickets and averaging 56 with the bat. Later the same year, he put up a highly acknowledged performance in a home series against the formidable Indian team by taking 40 wickets in six Tests at an average of 13.95. By the end of this series in 1982–1983, Khan had taken 88 wickets in 13 Test matches over a period of one year as captain. This same Test series against India also resulted in a stress fracture in his shin that kept him out of cricket for more than two years. An experimental treatment funded by the Pakistani government helped him recover by the end of 1984 and he made a successful comeback to international cricket in the latter part of the 1984–1985 season.

In 1987 in India, Khan led Pakistan in its first-ever Test series win and this was followed by Pakistan's first series victory in England during the same year. During the 1980s, his team also recorded three creditable draws against the West Indies. India and Pakistan co-hosted the 1987 Cricket World Cup, but neither ventured beyond the semi-finals. Khan retired from international cricket at the end of the World Cup. In 1988, he was asked to return to the captaincy by the President of Pakistan, General Zia-ul-Haq, and on 18 January, he announced his decision to rejoin the team.

Soon after returning to the captaincy, Khan led Pakistan to another winning tour in the West Indies, which he has recounted as "the last time I really bowled well." He was declared Man of the Series against West Indies in 1988 when he took 23 wickets in 3 Tests. Khan's career-high as a captain and cricketer came when he led Pakistan to victory in the 1992 Cricket World Cup. Playing with a brittle batting line-up, Khan promoted himself as a batsman to play in the top order along with Javed Miandad, but his contribution as a bowler was minimal. At the age of 39, Khan took the winning last wicket himself.

He holds as a captain the world record for taking most wickets, best bowling strike rate and best bowling average in Test, and best bowling figures (8 wickets for 60 runs) in a Test innings, and also most five-wicket hauls (6) in a Test innings in wins.

Post-retirement from cricket

Khan at a political rally in Peshawar in 1996

After retiring, Khan admitted to ball tampering during his early cricketing days when playing domestic cricket. Khan had said that, during matches, he "occasionally scratched the side of the ball and lifted the seam." Khan defended his actions in the same interview, arguing his conduct was commonplace at the time, even that spin bowlers would lift the seam (i.e. mildly ball tamper); Khan further argued that as he did not lift the seam of the ball above the normal level, he was not violating the rules and spirit of the game within the rules defined while he was a player. Khan stated that umpires in his 21 years of cricket had not complained about his conduct; Khan remarked that "The sole judge of fair and unfair play on the cricket field is the umpire." He had also added, "Only once did I use an object. When Sussex was playing Hampshire in 1981 the ball was not deviating at all. I got the 12th man to bring out a bottle top and it started to move around a lot."

In 1996, Khan successfully defended himself in a libel action brought forth by former English captain and all-rounder Ian Botham and batsman Allan Lamb over comments they alleged were made by Khan in two articles about the above-mentioned ball-tampering and another article published in an Indian magazine, India Today. They claimed that, in the latter publication, Khan had called the two cricketers "racist, ill-educated and lacking in class." Khan protested that he had been misquoted, saying that he was defending himself after having admitted that he tampered with a ball in a county match 18 years ago. Khan won the libel case, which the judge labelled a "complete exercise in futility", with a 10–2 majority decision by the jury. Also, Khan had served as a domestic league coach.

Khan served as the chancellor of the University of Bradford between November 2005 and November 2014.

Since retiring, Khan has written opinion pieces on cricket for various British and Asian newspapers, especially regarding the Pakistani national team. His contributions have been published in the Indian magazine Outlook, The Guardian, The Independent, and The Daily Telegraph. Khan occasionally appeared as a cricket commentator on Asian and British sports networks, including BBC Urdu and the Star TV network. In 2004, when the Indian cricket team toured Pakistan after 14 years, he was a commentator on TEN Sports' special live show, Straight Drive, while he was also a Sify columnist for the 2005 India-Pakistan Test series. He has provided analysis for every cricket World Cup since 1992, which includes providing match summaries for the BBC during the 1999 Cricket World Cup.

On 23 November 2005, Khan was appointed as the chancellor of University of Bradford, succeeding Betty Lockwood. On 26 February 2014, University of Bradford Union floated a motion to remove Khan from the post over Khan's absence from every graduation ceremony since 2010. Khan announced that he would step down on 30 November 2014, citing his "increasing political commitments." Brian Cantor, the university's vice-chancellor, said Khan had been "a wonderful role model for our students."

Philanthropy

Main articles: Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre and Namal College

During the 1990s, Khan also served as UNICEF's Special Representative for Sports and promoted health and immunisation programmes in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand. While in London, he also works with the Lord's Taverners, a cricket charity. Khan focused his efforts solely on social work. By 1991, he had founded the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust, a charity organisation bearing the name of his mother, Mrs. Shaukat Khanum. As the Trust's maiden endeavour, Khan established Pakistan's first and then only cancer hospital, constructed using donations and funds exceeding $25 million, raised by Khan from all over the world.

In collaboration with Imran Khan, Air Vice Marshal Abdul Razzaq Anjum, also a resident of Mianwali, aspired to establish a cadet college in their hometown. Their vision gained momentum when Governor Khalid Maqbool announced the establishment of the cadet college during a public gathering on 24 January 2002, followed by instructions to prepare a feasibility report. Anjum, wished to return to Mianwali after retirement and aimed to contribute to the district's development. In 2003, he was killed in an air crash along with 17 others including Chief of Air Staff Mushaf Ali Mir and the college was never built.

On 27 April 2008, Khan established Namal College, a technical college in the Mianwali District. It was built by the Mianwali Development Trust (MDT) and is an associate college of the University of Bradford since December 2005.

The Imran Khan Foundation (IKF) established in February 2006, was a welfare organization that supported underprivileged communities in Pakistan, including victims of the 2010 Pakistan floods. On 22 November 2011, the IKF under the umbrella of Akhuwat Foundation, launched a project for disbursing interest-free loans to low-income families in the Nowshera District. In January 2013, IKF announced a Rs30 million emergency relief project for internally displaced persons (IDPs), refugees of the war on terror, belonging to the Mehsud tribe of North Waziristan who were neglected by the government. The project provided food supplies, winter essentials, and waterproof tents to 2,600 families in Tank, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. IKF's national program manager, Isfundiar Kasuri, emphasized the urgency of assisting these underserved families despite challenges in the conflict-hit region.

In March 2013, Fiza Farhan, representing the Buksh Foundation, signed an agreement with the IKF to establish solar charging stations in 4,000 off-grid villages of Dera Ghazi Khan, Mianwali, and Dera Ismail Khan in collaboration with Coca-Cola, Zong, and Engro Corporation. The initiative aimed to provide solar lanterns to villagers, offering clean energy and socio-economic benefits, while also supporting female entrepreneurs known as "light ladies" to manage the stations. These efforts helped combat energy poverty, improve living standards, and reduce carbon emissions. As of 15 May 2021, the IKF has ceased operations.

Early political career

Initial years

Khan tearing his nomination paper for the National Assembly at a press conference; he boycotted the 2008 elections.

Khan was offered political positions more than a few times during his cricketing career. In 1987, President Zia-ul-Haq offered him a political position in the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) which he politely declined. Khan was also invited by Nawaz Sharif to join his political party. In 1993, Khan was appointed as the ambassador for tourism in the caretaker government of Moeenuddin Ahmad Qureshi and held the portfolio for three months until the government dissolved. In 1994, Khan joined the Jamiat-e-Pasban, a breakaway faction of Jamaat-e-Islami, of Hamid Gul and Muhammad Ali Durrani. However, Khan left the party after becoming uncomfortable with the idea of being seen as a puppet of Gul, according to Zaigham Khan. On 25 April 1996, Khan founded a political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). He ran for the seat of National Assembly of Pakistan in the 1997 Pakistani general election as a candidate of PTI from two constituencies – NA-53 Mianwali and NA-94 Lahore – but was unsuccessful and lost both the seats to candidates of PML-N.

Khan supported General Musharraf's 1999 Pakistani coup d'état, believing Musharraf would "end corruption, clear out the political mafias." According to Khan, he was Musharraf's choice for prime minister in 2002 but turned down the offer. Khan participated in the October 2002 Pakistani general election that took place across 272 constituencies and was prepared to form a coalition if his party did not get a majority of the vote. He was elected from Mianwali. In the 2002 Pakistani referendum, Khan supported military dictator General Musharraf. He also served as a part of the Standing Committees on Kashmir and Public Accounts. On 6 May 2005, Khan was mentioned in The New Yorker as being the "most directly responsible" for drawing attention in the Muslim world to the Newsweek story about the alleged desecration of the Qur'an in a US military prison at the Guantánamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba. In June 2007, Khan faced political opponents in and outside the parliament.

On 2 October 2007, as part of the All Parties Democratic Movement, Khan joined 85 other MPs to resign from Parliament in protest of the presidential election scheduled for 6 October, which general Musharraf was contesting without resigning as army chief. On 3 November 2007, Khan was put under house arrest, after president Musharraf declared a state of emergency in Pakistan. Later Khan escaped and went into hiding. He eventually came out of hiding on 14 November to join a student protest at the University of the Punjab. At the rally, Khan was captured by student activists from the Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba and roughly treated. He was arrested during the protest and was sent to the Dera Ghazi Khan jail in the Punjab province where he spent a few days before being released.

Khan at the conference "Rule of Law: The Case of Pakistan" organised by the Heinrich Böll Foundation in Berlin, 2009

On 30 October 2011, Khan addressed more than 100,000 supporters in Lahore, challenging the policies of the government, and referred to his movement as "not a flood that is coming, but a tsunami." A successful public gathering of thousands of supporters was held in Karachi on 25 December 2011. According to a survey conducted by the International Republican Institute (IRI) in 2012, Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) topped the list of popular political parties in Pakistan at the national level, with 31% of the vote. The survey, conducted between February 9 and March 8, 2012, found PTI ahead of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), which received 27%, and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), which garnered 16%. The survey also highlighted PTI's strong performance, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (49%) and Balochistan (35%), where the party secured the top spot, though it was second in Punjab with 33%.

On 6 October 2012, Khan joined a vehicle caravan of protesters from Islamabad to the village of Kotai in Pakistan's South Waziristan region against US drone missile strikes. On 23 March 2013, Khan introduced the Naya Pakistan Resolution (New Pakistan) at the start of his election campaign. Between 2011 and 2013, Khan and Nawaz Sharif began to engage each other in a bitter feud. The rivalry between the two leaders grew in late 2011 when Khan addressed his largest crowd at Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore. From 26 April 2013, in the run up to the elections, both the PML-N and the PTI started to criticise each other. On 29 April, The Observer termed Khan and his PTI, as the main opposition to the PML-N.

2013 elections campaign

See also: Pakistani general election, 2013

Khan with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry after the 2013 elections

On 21 April 2013, Khan launched his final public relations campaign for the 2013 Pakistani general election from Lahore, where he addressed thousands of supporters at the Mall. Khan announced that he would pull Pakistan out of the US-led war on terror and bring peace to the Pashtun tribal belt. He addressed different public meetings in various cities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other parts of country, where he announced that PTI will introduce a uniform education system in which the children of rich and poor would have equal opportunities. Khan ended his south Punjab campaign by addressing rallies in various Seraiki belt cities.

The last survey before the elections by The Herald showed 24.98 per cent of voters nationally planned to vote for his party, just a whisker behind former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's PML-N. On 7 May, just four days before the elections, Khan was rushed to Shaukat Khanum hospital in Lahore after he tumbled from a forklift at the edge of a stage and fell headfirst to the ground. Khan ended the campaign by addressing a rally of supporters in Islamabad via video link while lying on a bed at a hospital in Lahore.

The 2013 Pakistani general election was held on 11 May across the country. Nawaz Sharif and his party, the Pakistan Muslim League (N), secured victory in the elections, though there were allegations of vote-rigging, including claims from Khan and other political figures. Khan's party emerged as the leading party in the Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Khan's party became the second-largest party in terms of popular vote nationwide securing 30 directly elected parliamentary seats, making it the third-largest party in the National Assembly of Pakistan behind the PML-N and PPP. Khan conceded defeat the day after the elections. While accepting PML (N)'s victory, Khan pledged to release a "white paper" on the alleged vote-rigging and vowed to hold protests. He praised the record voter turnout, particularly the participation of youth and women, describing it as a "step forward for democracy."

While recovering in the hospital, Khan nominated Pervez Khattak to form and lead PTI's first provincial government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

In opposition

See also: 2014 Azadi march, Inqilab March, and Panama Papers case

Khan assumed the role of parliamentary leader of his party in the National Assembly of Pakistan following the 2013 elections. On 31 July 2013, Khan was issued a contempt of court notice for allegedly criticising the superior judiciary, and his use of the word shameful for the judiciary. The notice was discharged after Khan submitted before the Supreme Court that he criticised the lower judiciary for their actions during the May 2013 general election while those judicial officers were working as returning officers. Khan's party emerged as the single largest party in the militancy-hit Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and formed the provincial government with the support of coalition partners. Khan was criticised for his support for Sami-ul-Haq, known as the "Father of the Taliban," and for providing funds to his seminary, Darul Uloom Haqqania.

Khan believed that terrorist activities by the Pakistani Taliban could be stopped through dialogue and even offered them to open an office in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as a step towards starting negotiations. He accused the United States of sabotaging peace efforts with the Pakistani Taliban by killing its leader Hakimullah Mehsud in a drone strike in 2013. As a result, he demanded the government to block NATO's supply line. On 13 November 2013, Khan ordered Pervez Khattak to dismiss Bakht Baidar and Ibrar Hussan Kamoli of the Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) over corruption allegations and to end the PTI's alliance with the party. Baidar, Minister for Manpower and Industry, and Kamoli, Minister for Forest and Environment, were removed, respectively.

Voice of America reports on Khan-led protests in late 2014

A year after the elections, on 11 May 2014, at a rally of his supporters, Khan called for the resignation of all members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the formation of a new ECP, and strict punishment for those who "stole the mandate of the masses." On 14 August 2014, Imran Khan led a rally of supporters from Lahore to Islamabad, demanding Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's resignation and investigation into alleged electoral fraud. On its way to the capital, Khan's vehicle was shot at and his convoy was attacked with stones from PML (N) supporters in Gujranwala. However, there were no fatalities. On 15 August, Khan-led protesters entered the capital and a few days later marched into the high-security Red Zone; on 1 September, according to Al Jazeera, protesters attempted to storm Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's official residence, which prompted the outbreak of violence. Three people died and more than 595 people were injured, including 115 police officers. Prior to the violence that resulted in several deaths, Khan urged his followers to attack police officers after learning that they had initiated a baton charge against his supporters.

By September 2014, Khan had entered into a de facto alliance with Canadian-Pakistani cleric Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri; both aimed to mobilise their supporters for a regime change campaign against Nawaz Sharif. Khan entered into an agreement with the Sharif administration to establish a three-member high-powered judicial commission which would be formed under a presidential ordinance. The commission would make its final report public. If the commission found a country-wide pattern of rigging proved, the prime minister would dissolve the national and provincial assemblies – thereby meaning that the premier would also appoint the caretaker setup in consultation with the leader of the opposition and fresh elections would be held.

Khan campaigned against Nawaz Sharif in the wake of the Panama Papers leak, which revealed offshore companies linked to the Sharif family. He led protests, filed petitions through his party, and called for Sharif's resignation, citing allegations of corruption. Khan's party petitioned the Panama Papers case in the Supreme Court to investigate allegations of corruption involving Sharif's family. Khan described the case as a "defining moment" for the country.

On 7 April 2017, Khan expressed his views regarding US president Donald Trump stating "When Trump got elected and then I saw his team…I thought to myself he is not as bad as I thought he was, he is much worse."

2018 elections campaign

Main article: 2018 Pakistani general election

Khan holding a media press with Arif Alvi during the 2018 electoral campaign

Khan contested the 2018 Pakistani general election from NA-35 (Bannu), NA-53 (Islamabad-II), NA-95 (Mianwali-I), NA-131 (Lahore-IX), and NA-243 (Karachi East-II). According to early, official results, Khan led the poll, although his opposition, mainly PML-N, alleged large-scale vote rigging and administrative malpractices. On 27 July, election officials declared that Khan's party had won 110 of the 269 seats, giving PTI a plurality in the National Assembly. At the conclusion of the count on 28 July, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced that the PTI had won a total of 116 of the 270 seats contested. Khan became the first person in the history of Pakistan elections who contested and won in all five constituencies, surpassing Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who contested in four but won in three constituencies in 1970.

In May 2018, Khan's party announced a 100-day agenda for a possible future government. The agenda included sweeping reforms in almost all areas of government including creation of a new province in Southern Punjab, fast tracking of merger of Federally Administered Tribal Areas into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, betterment of law and order situation in Karachi, and betterment of relations with Baloch political leaders.

A number of opposition parties alleged "massive rigging" in Khan's favour amid allegations of military interference in the general elections. Nawaz Sharif and his PML-N party, in particular, claimed that a conspiracy between the judiciary and military had influenced the election in favour of Khan and PTI. The Election Commission rejected allegations of rigging, and Sharif and his PML-N later conceded victory to Khan, despite lingering 'reservations' regarding the result. Two days after the 2018 general elections were held, the chief observer of the European Union Election Observation Mission to Pakistan, Michael Gahler, confirmed that the overall situation of the general election was satisfactory.

During his victory speech, he laid out the policy outlines for his future government. Khan said his inspiration is to build Pakistan as a humanitarian state based on principles of the first Islamic state of Medina. He described that his future government will put the poor and commoners of the country first and all policies will be geared towards elevating the standards of living of the lesser fortunate. He promised an investigation into rigging allegations. He said that he wanted a united Pakistan and would refrain from victimising his political opponents. Everyone would be equal under the law. He promised a simple and less costly government, devoid of showy pompousness in which the prime minister's house will be converted into an educational institute and governor houses will be used for public benefit. On foreign policy, he praised China and hoped to have better relations with Afghanistan, United States, and India. On the Middle East, he said his government will strive to have a balanced relationship with Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Nominations and appointments

On 6 August 2018, PTI officially nominated him as the candidate for prime minister. Delivering a speech during his nomination, Khan said that he will present himself for public accountability for an hour every week in which he will answer questions. After the election, Khan made several appointments and nominations for national and provincial level public office holders. Asad Umar was designated as finance minister. Khan nominated Imran Ismail for Governor of Sindh, Mahmood Khan as Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Chaudhry Sarwar as Governor of Punjab, Asad Qaiser as Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan, and Shah Farman as Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In Balochistan, his party decided to support the Balochistan Awami Party which nominated Jam Kamal Khan for chief minister and Abdul Quddus Bizenjo as speaker.

Khan's party nominated Pakistan Muslim League (Q) leader and former Deputy Prime Minister of Pakistan Pervaiz Elahi for the slot of Speaker of the Punjab Assembly. Abdul Razak Dawood was nominated to be the advisor to prime minister on economic affairs. Qasim Khan Suri was nominated for deputy speaker of national assembly slot. Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani and Mehmood Jan were nominated as speaker and deputy speaker of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly respectively. Dost Muhammad Mazari was nominated as Deputy Speaker for the Provincial Assembly of Punjab. Khan nominated Sardar Usman Buzdar for Chief Minister of Punjab. Announcing the nomination, Khan said that he chose Buzdar because he belongs to the most backward area of Punjab. According to some sources, Buzdar was nominated as a makeshift arrangement because it would be easier to remove a lesser-known individual when Shah Mahmood Qureshi was ready to become chief minister.

Prime Minister (2018–2022)

Main article: Premiership of Imran Khan

Khan (left) is sworn in as Prime Minister, with President Mamnoon Hussain administering the oath in 2018.

Imran Khan became the 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan on 17 August 2018 after his oath of office ceremony. He laid out an ambitious agenda for his first 100 days, focusing on rapid reforms in governance, economic development, the merger of FATA with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and strengthening national security.

Austerity policy

Khan announced reductions in the Prime Minister's staff, cutting it from 524 servants to two, and adopted a minimal security detail. His government auctioned off bulletproof vehicles, four helicopters, and eight buffaloes previously acquired for the Prime Minister's office. The initial auction of luxury vehicles fell short of expectations, generating only $600,000 compared to the government's goal of $16 million. The four non-operational UH-1H helicopters, gifted by the U.S. between 1971 and 1993 for rescue efforts, fell into disrepair after years of neglect and were deemed too costly to repair. A Pakistani dealer proposed trading the helicopters for a discount on a new one, but the government rejected it due to laws allowing only cash deals. Khan was criticised for commuting to work by helicopter to beat traffic jams, while advocating austerity measures.

In 2021, a report highlighted significant savings under his leadership. Expenditures for the Prime Minister House were reduced by 49%, dropping from Rs590 million in 2018 to Rs280 million in 2020, while spending on the Prime Minister's Office decreased by 29%. Additionally, documents revealed that Khan's 12 foreign trips across three continents cost a total of $680,000, which was significantly lower than the expenses for a single visit to New York by former president Asif Ali Zardari ($1.1 million) or former prime minister Nawaz Sharif ($901,250).

Economy

Khan at the World Economic Forum in 2020.

His government undertook major cabinet reshuffles and faced economic challenges, resulting in seeking an IMF bailout. According to the World Bank's annual flagship report, Ease of Doing Business 2020, released in October 2019, Pakistan implemented six reforms that boosted its ranking from 136 to 108. It was recognized as the sixth global reformer and the top reformer in South Asia for improving the business environment over the past year. By 2020, Pakistan's balance of payments improved, fiscal deficit successfully narrowed to 1% of GDP due to austerity measures, and tax collection reached record highs. In June 2020, Bloomberg reported that Imran Khan saw his "influence and popularity dwindle due to a slowing economy, high consumer prices and corruption investigations involving his close aides." The article also stated that the army's direct influence in civilian government continued to increase as it began "taking a more active role" in policy making, with military officials appointed in government posts.

Pakistan's current account recorded a surplus of $447 million in November 2020, the fifth consecutive month of surplus, compared to a deficit of $326 million during the same period in 2019, according to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). The bank noted, "In contrast to the previous five years, the current account has remained in surplus throughout FY21, due to an improved trade balance and a continued increase in remittances." Khan described it as a 'Remarkable turnaround despite Covid,' adding that Pakistan's foreign reserves hit a 3-year high of $13 billion.

Pakistan faced significant economic challenges during Khan's government, including an inflation rate of 11.5% as of November 2021, tax increases, higher energy prices, and the rupee trading at record lows against the dollar, all of which contributed to political criticism. After Imran Khan's vote of no-confidence, economist Atif Mian said that Imran Khan "inherited a bad economy but left it in even worse shape." Mian further criticised the PTI government for the state of the economy. In November 2021, the Financial Times reported that the Rupee had dropped 30% in value since Imran Khan's inauguration and that "inflation has surged to the worst level in years, with an index tracking everyday essentials such as fuel, food and soap last week rising above 18 per cent year on year."

In fiscal year FY2020-21, Pakistan's information technology (IT) exports surged by 47.4%, exceeding the $2 billion milestone for the first time in the country's history.

According to the Labour Force Survey released shortly before his government was ousted in 2022, it created 5.5 million jobs in its first three years in office—an average of 1.84 million annually—surpassing the 5.7 million jobs generated during the entire five-year tenure of the previous PML-N government (2013-18).

A few weeks after Khan's government was overthrown, the new administration disclosed documents revealing that his government had recovered Rs426 billion over the past three years through the Assets Recovery Unit (ARU). This unit, established by Khan, aimed to repatriate stolen funds from abroad to Pakistan. According to the Cabinet Division's yearbook, this marked a significant increase compared to the Rs295.6 billion recovered during the 17-year period from 2000 to 2017.

Foreign policy

See also: List of international prime ministerial trips made by Imran Khan

President Donald Trump announced on Twitter his decision to cut off billions in aid to Pakistan in November 2018, berating the country for not doing "a damn thing for us." Imran lashed out at Trump saying that U.S. aid to Pakistan was a "miniscule" $20 billion, while the country lost 75,000 people and more than $123 billion fighting the "US War on Terror." He also pointed to the supply routes Pakistan provided to American forces, saying "Can Mr Trump name another ally that gave such sacrifices?" Khan later told the US, "we're not your hired gun anymore." On the international stage he emphasised Islamic unity through his efforts against Islamophobia and leadership in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Khan and his foreign minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi established good relations with Saudi Arabia, though he stated that he sought to mediate between the Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict.

Khan (center) with his foreign minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi (right) and U.S. President Donald Trump (left) in 2019.

After the 2019 Pulwama attack in Indian-held Kashmir, the Indian government blamed Pakistan for the attack. Khan insisted that Pakistan had nothing to do with it and approved military response in anticipation of a retaliatory attack by India. On 26 February, the Indian Air Force entered Pakistani airspace and conducted the 2019 Balakot airstrike, missing their target.

The following day, the Pakistan Air Force conducted retaliatory strikes, codenamed Operation Swift Retort, in Jammu and Kashmir and shot down an Indian Air Force MiG-21, capturing its pilot Abhinandan Varthaman as a Prisoner of War. Khan announced that Abhinandan would be released on 1 March, as a gesture of peace and a step toward initiating negotiations.

Khan maintained a strong stance on the Kashmir issue and after the Revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir by the Indian government in August 2019, he refused talks with India until autonomy was restored. His speech at the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2019 drew thousands of supporters, including Sikhs, Muslims, and Christians, who held protests in his favor. The speech quickly went viral, while in Indian-held Kashmir, Kashmiris celebrated in Srinagar by setting off firecrackers and praising his address.

In his speech to the National Assembly of Pakistan in June 2021, Khan criticised the American drone campaign in Pakistan under his predecessors, questioning whether England would allow Pakistan to conduct drone strikes on Altaf Hussain, who has been living there in exile since 1990.

Khan with Vladimir Putin in 2022.

Shortly after the 2021 Fall of Kabul, Khan remarked that the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan should be recognised sooner or later by the United States and not isolated. Khan faced criticism for certain comments and policies including his stance on the Taliban.

On 23 February 2022, Imran Khan became the first Pakistani prime minister in 20 years to visit Moscow, in a trip described as an opportunity to discuss economic cooperation and Pakistan's energy needs. Upon his arrival, Khan was heard in a video clip telling officials, "What a time I have come… so much excitement," a statement that later appeared ill-timed as the visit coincided with the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The US government had already reacted negatively to the trip before the invasion began, with State Department spokesperson Ned Price stating that every "responsible" country had a duty to voice objection to Vladimir Putin's actions.

After Khan's government was ousted, he claimed in a political rally that his visit to Russia involved discussions about securing discounted oil and wheat for Pakistan. He stated that Russia had agreed to provide oil at a 30% discount and wheat at a 20% discount. Russian Ambassador to Pakistan Danila Ganich refuted this claim on 13 June 2022, stating that no formal agreements or memorandums of understanding (MoUs) were established between Russia and Pakistan regarding discounted oil and wheat. He further remarked that Khan's visit to Moscow might have been one of the factors contributing to his removal from power, and added that Khan acted 'as a man' by refusing to call off the visit to Russia.

Accountability

Despite Khan's promises to curb corruption in Pakistan, the nation's rankings in the Corruption Perceptions Index produced by Transparency International declined during his administration. Pakistan fell from 117th in 2018 to 140th in 2021. Amber Shamsi said that dozens of opposition figures had been accused of corruption and jailed without being prosecuted. In response to the CPI report, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said Pakistan "need[s] reforms in the areas of the rule of law and state capture as mentioned in the report." Critics have questioned the effectiveness and impartiality of Khan's anti-corruption policies.

In June 2019, Khan removed General Asim Munir from his position as Director-General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and replaced him with General Faiz Hameed. The Daily Telegraph alleged that Munir's removal followed Munir telling Khan that he wanted to investigate corruption allegations against Khan's wife, Bushra Bibi, and her inner circle. Khan said Munir did not show him any proof of Bibi's corruption and Khan did not ask Munir to resign because of his request to investigate.

In 2020, Shibli Faraz, the information minister in Khan's government, announced that Pakistan had initiated legal proceedings to extradite Nawaz Sharif, who had been convicted of corruption in the Panama Papers case. Khan said he wanted Sharif returned to Pakistan to face trial.

Social, domestic and welfare policy

Further information: Ehsaas Programme and Sehat Sahulat Program

In social policy, his administration restored minority religious sites, reformed education and healthcare, and launched the Ehsaas Programme which served 100 million people with financial assistance, while many also benefited from healthcare and welfare assistance through the initiative. Ehsaas, which was Khan's flagship initiative, has been viewed as a success by national and international experts. It helped bring about positive change and is seen as a global model for poverty reduction. The World Bank declared it a role model for other countries. The Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme successfully protected the poor and daily wage earners in the country who were affected by lockdowns by providing cash disbursements during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Plant for Pakistan

Main article: Plant for Pakistan

Plant for Pakistan, also known as 10 Billion Tree Tsunami, was a five-year project to plant 10 billion trees across Pakistan from 2018 to 2023. Khan initiated the programme on 2 September 2018 with approximately 1.5 million trees planted on the first day. Most of the work, which paid between 500 and 800 rupees (US$3–5) a day, took place in rural areas, with people setting up nurseries, planting saplings, and serving as forest protection guards. The plan was awarded 7.5 billion rupees ($46m) in funding. According to an editorial published in The Nation in September 2022, the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) found Rs3.49 billion of "irregularities" after a three-year audit of the program. Irregularities included "fake and excessive reporting by the staff", an "over-claimed" area, "fictitiously claimed plantation activities", "uncertified and ungraded seeds obtained from unauthentic sources."

COVID-19 response

Main article: Corona Relief Tiger Force

At the start of the pandemic, Imran Khan resisted a nationwide lockdown despite criticism from the opposition and others. He explained that while his government considered lockdowns implemented in other countries, they determined such measures would devastate Pakistan’s struggling economy, where many depend on daily wages.

“The Pakistan situation is not the same as that of the US or Europe...25 percent of our population is living in grave poverty,” Khan said in a televised address. “If we shut down cities, we might save people from corona, but they will die of hunger.”

In March 2020, Ayesha Siddiqa wrote that Khan "appeared confused and not in charge of the situation. From poorly explaining the risks associated with the spread of the deadly coronavirus to badly calculating the pros and cons of a lockdown, the Pakistan Prime Minister has looked clueless."

Instead of placing a nationwide lockdown, Khan implemented targeted measures, shutting down COVID-19 hotspots by using military technology to track and trace those exposed. This "smart lockdown" approach aimed to isolate affected areas while minimizing economic disruption. "The ISI has given us a great system for track and trace," the prime minister, Imran Khan, said in April. "It was originally used against terrorism, but now it is has come in useful against coronavirus." In May 2020, Prime Minister Khan said the lockdown decision "was taken by the elite without thinking of the poor."

Khan's strategy proved effective, when he was praised by the World Health Organization (WHO) for his government's response to the virus by establishing temporary isolation wards. The Business Standard lauded him for his "Smart Lockdowns", while the Imperial College of London ranked Pakistan at fourth for coronavirus reproduction in the country based on data from 20 July. Pakistan achieved a rating of 0.73 rate, countries below 1 rating were considered the best for their efforts against COVID. In November 2020,The Express Tribune reported that Khan’s government achieved a "V-shaped economic recovery."

In September 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Pakistan was "among countries from whom the international community should learn how to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic."

In July 2021, The Economist ranked Pakistan among the top 10 countries for its handling of the pandemic. Khan commended the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), established by his government, for playing a significant role in the achievement. Pakistan secured the third spot with a score of 84.4. The top-ranked country was Hong Kong, scoring 96.3, followed by New Zealand with a score of 87.8.

In the East Asia Forum, Shuja Nawaz wrote in September 2021, that Pakistan's "serious economic crisis exacerbated by COVID-19 forced Khan to seek external assistance" from the IMF, Saudi Arabia and China.

Locust Infestation response

Main article: 2019–2022 locust infestation

Between 2019 and 2022, a significant desert locust outbreak emerged, threatening food security in East Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and the Indian subcontinent. In June 2019, locust swarms entered Pakistan from neighboring Iran, devastating vast agricultural areas in southwestern districts and severely damaging crops such as cotton, wheat, and maize. The devastation caused Pakistan to fall short of its wheat production target by approximately 2 million tonnes, compelling the government to import grain for the first time in nearly a decade.

On 1 February 2020, Pakistan declared a nationwide emergency to address the desert locust threat, describing it as the "worst locust infestation in more than two decades", the government launched a National Action Plan for Desert Locust Surveillance and Control with approval from Khan. By October 2020, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations announced that Pakistan had successfully brought the locust crisis under control and commended the country's extensive control efforts as "ideal."

Press freedom

In 2019, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) in its World Report stated that the government continued to "muzzle dissenting voices in nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and media on the pretext of national security." Media outlets were pressured by authorities to avoid reporting on several issues, including criticism of government institutions. In some cases, government regulatory agencies blocked cable operators from broadcasting networks that had aired critical programs. In April 2019, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) "condemn[ed]" directives of the Interior Ministry and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to investigate journalists who posted images of murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Earlier, the interior ministry claimed there was a "targeted social media campaign planned/executed" during the visit of the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and ordered an inquiry into online criticism after a similar probe proposal had been "thwarted" 20-days before by the government.

In June 2021, the World Association of Newspapers (WAN-IFRA), International Publishers Association (IPA) and International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) called on the government to retract proposals to establish the Pakistan Media Development Authority (PMDA) which would centralise all media regulation into a single body. The three groups criticised the proposal and said they were "particularly alarmed" by provisions providing for Media Tribunals that would be "vested with the power to hand down punishments of up to three years in jail and fines of up to 25 million Pakistani rupees."

In December 2021, the International Press Institute (IPI) said "the government has shown increasing intolerance to critical journalism" and "[t]he armed forces have also played a key role in stifling press freedom in the country. Cases of abduction, physical attacks, and torture of journalists have become commonplace." IPI also criticised the disruption of newspaper circulation and the "tactics" of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) "to limit independent news coverage by cable operators news channels." In an open letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan, IPI "expressed grave concerns" over a proposed ordinance to establish the PDMA.

The Pakistan Press Foundation's (PPF) Press Freedom in Pakistan 2021-22 report documented 2 abductions, 41 assaults, 13 arrests, 23 threats, and 7 legal actions against media professionals, along with raids on journalists' homes and press clubs. The report stated that Khan, as prime minister, publicly referred to journalists as "mafias" and "blackmailers" on multiple occasions, without providing evidence to substantiate these claims. It criticized online censorship, the FIA's overreach, PEMRA's blanket bans, and government rhetoric but commended the "Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Bill, 2021" as a "significant first step."

In August 2022, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) shared a report originally published by Naya Daur, detailing threats and targeting of journalists during Khan's tenure.

Imran Khan denied persecuting journalists during his premiership. In a 2023 interview with Vice, he stated, "[w]hat happened was that there were army laws. So the journalist who got into trouble said something to the army. So under some security law, action was taken against them." He claimed only two journalists were abducted under his government—one being Matiullah Jan—and both were promptly released after he found out. Khan asserted that his administration never initiated cases against the media and said, "[c]ompare that to what’s going on now. A journalist was killed," referring to Arshad Sharif.

Removal from office

Main article: No-confidence motion against Imran Khan

See also: 2022 Pakistani constitutional crisis

Imran Khan, accompanied by foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Chief of Army Staff Qamar Javed Bajwa.

In March 2022, opposition party representatives submitted a motion of no-confidence against his government, leading to defections from his coalition partners and members of his party. The motion was controversial, with Khan alleging it was driven by a foreign conspiracy. Subsequently, Khan convened a National Security Committee (NSC) meeting, including the chiefs of the three branches of the Pakistan Armed Forces, and issued a "strong" demarche to an unnamed country over a 'threat letter'—allegedly evidence of foreign interference to oust his government—calling it "blatant interference in the internal affairs of Pakistan."

On 5 April 2022, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova issued a statement strongly criticizing the United States for "another attempt of shameless interference" in Pakistan's internal affairs, claiming it sought to punish a "disobedient" Imran Khan. Zakharova highlighted American pressure before Khan's visit to Moscow in February, stating, "Immediately after the announcement of the working visit of Imran Khan to Moscow, the Americans and their Western associates began to exert rude pressure on the prime minister, demanding an ultimatum to cancel the trip."

Zakharova further noted that on 7 March, a high-ranking American official condemned Pakistan's balanced stance on Ukraine and implied that US-Pakistan partnerships were contingent on Khan's removal from power. She concluded, "This is another attempt of shameless US interference in the internal affairs of an independent state for its own selfish purposes. The above facts eloquently testify to this."

Khan was ultimately removed from office on 10 April 2022, becoming the first prime minister in Pakistan's history to be ousted through a no-confidence vote.

Following his ouster, the Pakistan Army's spokesperson clarified that while external interference in Pakistan's internal affairs was acknowledged during a meeting of the NSC, leading to the 'strong' demarche issued to an unnamed country over the threat letter, the word "conspiracy" was not used in the official statement released by the committee and the demarche was issued due to undiplomatic language. Khan's relationship with the military, once seen as supportive, had deteriorated significantly, with the army distancing itself from him as political tensions escalated.

Post-premiership

2022 Toshakhana reference case

Further information: Toshakhana reference case

The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) filed the Toshakhana case against Imran Khan in August 2022, alleging he failed to disclose details of 108 official gifts received during his premiership and the proceeds from their sale in his annual report to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Of these, Khan reportedly retained 58 gifts, with only 14 valued above Rs. 14,000 each. On 8 September, Khan rejected the allegations as misleading and false, requesting the ECP to dismiss the case. In a 60-page reply through his counsel, Barrister Ali Zafar, Khan disclosed that 329 official gifts were received during his government's tenure, with 58 attributed to him and his wife. He maintained that all purchases were lawfully declared in his tax returns and wealth statements. The ECP launched an investigation and conducted hearings, with delays as Khan's legal team sought extensions.

On 21 October 2022, the commission ruled to disqualify Khan from holding public office, citing false statements and inaccurate declarations of assets for the tax year 2020–21. A five-member ECP bench, led by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, heard the case. The defense argued that the ECP lacked jurisdiction under Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution, which reserves authority for superior courts. The CEC advised the defense to file a separate petition on this matter.

Attempted assassination

Main article: Attempted assassination of Imran Khan

Khan speaking to media at Shaukat Khanum hospital after treatment

On 3 November 2022, Khan was shot in the leg and his foot by a gunman while giving a speech to supporters at a rally in Wazirabad, Punjab, and leading a march to the capital Islamabad to demand snap elections after he was ousted. Automatic gunfire was heard in footage aired on local news channels which also showed Khan being carried away and put in a car, with a bandage visible on his leg. Khan's conditions were not described as critical. A PTI party's supporter was killed during the shooting, and eight other people were also wounded. The perpetrator known as Muhammad Naveed was arrested at the scene and claimed that he wanted only to target Khan for "spreading hatred and misleading the people." Khan blamed the incumbent government for the assassination plot, primarily prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior minister Rana Sanaullah and the Director General Counter Intelligence of the Inter-Services Intelligence Faisal Naseer.

2023 arrests

First arrest and release

Main articles: 2023 Imran Khan arrest protests and Arrest of Imran Khan

As a result of an arrest warrant issued by the district and sessions court in Islamabad, the Islamabad Police and Lahore Police started an operation to arrest Khan on 14 March 2023. On 9 May, Khan was arrested at the Islamabad High Court by paramilitary forces; this was over his alleged role in the 190 million pound case. The case involves allegations of corruption and abuse of authority by Khan. The case centres on a settlement made during Khan's tenure between his administration and property tycoon Malik Riaz, which allegedly caused a £190 million loss to the national exchequer. The funds, originally seized by the UK's National Crime Agency, were returned to Pakistan but were reportedly redirected for other purposes. Khan and his associates, including his wife Bushra Bibi, are accused of misusing their positions to secure land for the Al-Qadir Trust in exchange for legal protection for Riaz. His arrest led to widespread protests and the May 9 riots. The arrest was later declared illegal by the Supreme Court. Following the 9 May riots, many PTI members deserted Khan and founded the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party under the leadership of Jahangir Tareen. On 12 May, the Islamabad High Court declared the arrest illegal and mandated Khan's immediate release. Khan was granted protected bail and released on the same day, meaning he could not be re-arrested on those charges for two weeks.

Conviction and second arrest

Further information: Lettergate

On 5 August 2023, Khan was arrested for the second time and sentenced to three years in prison after being found guilty of misusing his premiership from 2018 to 2022 to buy and sell gifts in state possession that were received during visits abroad and worth more than 140 million rupees. On 29 August 2023, an appeals court suspended Khan's corruption conviction and three-year prison term, and granted bail. Despite the suspended conviction in the corruption case, a special court in Islamabad ordered that he remain incarcerated in connection with the "cypher case": Khan has repeatedly alleged that he received a cypher, or diplomatic cable, which contained proof that there was a US led conspiracy with Pakistan's military establishment to oust him from office. The Federal Investigation Agency registered a case against Khan for sharing information on the alleged cypher and leaking state secrets, and thereby violating the Official Secrets Act.

On 30 January 2024, Khan was convicted and sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment over the case. Khan reacted by urging voters to "take revenge for every injustice with your vote" in the 2024 Pakistani general election on 8 February. One of his lawyers called the decision illegal, and his legal team planned to appeal the decision. Many observers alleged that the sentence was part of a campaign to sideline Khan and the PTI before the 2024 elections; Khan himself described all the charges against him as "politically motivated." His then-foreign minister and deputy in the PTI, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, was also sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment over the case. Khan's sister Aleema said that prosecutors had sought the death penalty for her brother. The next day, Khan was convicted and sentenced to 14 years' imprisonment for the Toshakhana case, which involved the illegal sale of state gifts given to him and his wife, Bushra Bibi, when he was prime minister. The sentence was suspended on 1 April pending an appeal. On 3 February, Khan and his wife were convicted and sentenced to an additional seven years in prison and fined 500,000 rupees ($1,800) each following a criminal complaint by Bushra Bibi's former husband, Khawar Maneka, saying that Bushra did not complete her Iddat before marrying Khan in 2018. On 16 February, his legal team filed an appeal against the three consecutive convictions.

Since his arrest in August, Khan has been held in the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, where his trial was also held. On 8 February, a PTI official said Khan had been allowed to vote in prison for the 2024 Pakistani general election using a postal ballot. On 12 March 2024, the Government of Punjab imposed a two-week ban on visits to the prison.

On 3 June 2024, the Islamabad High Court overturned Khan's conviction on the cypher case. Khan remained in prison due to his conviction for a breach of the marriage laws. On 13 July, Khan's conviction in the marriage case with Bushra Bibi was overturned following an appeal. Khan remained in prison and was then arrested on charges related to the 2023 riots. Since the 2022 no-confidence vote, Khan has been involved in over 180 court cases.

On 8 October 2024, an attempted murder charge was filed against him over the death of a police officer during protests by Khan's supporters in Islamabad.

Imprisonment

In August 2023, the government submitted a report to the Supreme Court of Pakistan, stating that Khan's daily meals included bread, omelette, curd, and tea for breakfast, along with fresh fruits, vegetables, pulses, rice, and desi mutton cooked in ghee for lunch and dinner. His cell was cleaned daily by a designated sanitary worker, and additional security personnel were deployed for his safety. The Supreme Court had ordered the government to submit this report following Khan's complaints about the conditions in which he was being held.

During Khan's imprisonment, he has retained a presence in Pakistani politics, with reports suggesting a rise in his popularity, particularly among the youth. There have been a lack of public demonstrations in his favour since his arrest due to media outlets under instructions not to cover PTI's activities, police actions against Khan's supporters making them fearful of arrest, and a reduction in the number of PTI members. The BBC reported that "silent support" for Khan was still strong. Khan has said that his imprisonment has political motivations, alleging involvement by the Pakistan Armed Forces (referred to as The Establishment) and the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Both the military and the government have denied these allegations, with the military labelling them as 'fabricated and malicious,' and Prime Minister Sharif rejecting them as 'blatant lies.' While he was brought before the Supreme Court by the jail authorities, Khan alleged that Pakistan is under what he describes as an "undeclared martial law." He argues that his detention is part of a broader attempt to suppress democratic forces and weaken opposition. He also stated that he deeply regretted trusting General Bajwa and implicated him in causing the country’s turmoil.

On 30 May 2024, told the Supreme Court that he was living in solitary confinement and the government had put restrictions on his meeting with lawyers and family members. The Pakistani government told the Supreme Court in June that the conditions of Khan's imprisonment included a walking area adjacent to his cell, a cooler, a television, and exercise equipment. It said that Khan has access to a separate kitchen and could meet with his legal team and family. In its submission, the government provided photographs of Khan’s cell and other items and a photo of a meeting between him and his legal team in prison.

In June 2024, a United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention called for Khan's release, arguing that his detention was arbitrary and politically motivated. Khan was sentenced on corruption charges in 2023. Amnesty International raised similar concerns, particularly over the conditions of his imprisonment. In an interview with The Sunday Times in July from prison, Khan said he is being held in a small, 'death cell' typically reserved for terrorists. Khan's legal team and his sister, Aleema Khan, said that the authorities are endangering his health and attempting to weaken him by keeping him in poor conditions, while Aleema also stated that Khan was suffering from an eye infection. A regular medical examination is performed every two weeks, and no health issues have been reported during his imprisonment by authorities.

On 22 November 2024, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) granted Khan bail in the Toshakhana case, but he was not released from jail due to multiple other cases against him. On 24 November 2024, his supporters marched nationwide, demanding his release.

University of Oxford Chancellor candidacy

Further information: 2024 University of Oxford Chancellor election

Despite his imprisonment, Khan remains politically active, having applied to run in the 2024 University of Oxford Chancellor Election. His candidacy has gained attention, with supporters promoting the campaign on social media.

Khan's candidacy also attracted some concerns due to timing, coinciding with ongoing political unrest in Pakistan and his imprisonment on multiple charges, including corruption and sedition at the time. His supporters argue these charges are politically motivated, critics suggested that his legal battles and the broader political context might distract from his ability to focus on the responsibilities of the role. Some observers saw his candidacy as a way to draw international attention to his political situation and about whether his motivations are primarily political rather than academic.

On 16 October 2024, University officials excluded him from the race of chancellorship stating that his candidacy was disqualified based on established exclusion criteria, which led to the acceptance of 38 out of over 40 applicants. Key factors cited include Khan's prior conviction and his active political role, which were seen as inconsistent with the requirements for the position. Legal analysis from King's Counsel Hugh Southey of Matrix Chambers, as well as policy advocacy group Beltway Grid, said that Oxford's regulations set standards of integrity and impartiality that Khan did not meet.

Khan's sister, Rubina Khanum, claimed that Zulfi Bukhari "had dragged Imran Khan into the chancellor candidacy race for self-interest," further saying "Imran Khan is in jail; what interest does he have in becoming Oxford University's chancellor?"

Wealth

In 2003, Khan had a house in Zaman Park, Lahore worth Rs. 29 million (US$100,000). He was also an investor, investing more than Rs. 40 million (US$140,000) in various businesses. He was owner of agriculture land of 39 kanals (5 acres) at Talhar, Islamabad, and 530 kanals (66 acres) at Khanewal and had a share in 363 kanals (44 acres) of other agricultural land that he had inherited. Khan paid Rs. 10.19 million (US$35,000) to buy two apartments at Shahra-e-Dastoor in Islamabad. Other assets in 2017 included furniture worth Rs. 0.6 million (US$2,100) and livestock valued at Rs. 0.2 million (US$690). He then had no vehicle registered in his name.

In 2017, Khan owned a 300-kanal mansion in Bani Gala, Islamabad, worth Rs. 750 million (US$2.6 million), which he declared as a gift in his statement to the Election Commission of Pakistan. The mansion is located within a gated enclosure and is accessible through a private driveway.

Documents released by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) in November 2019 revealed that Khan paid a total of Rs. 4 million (equivalent to Rs. 20 million or US$71,000 in 2021) in taxes over 37 years. According to the FBR, he was exempted from paying taxes during certain years within this period. On 3 January 2022, the FBR published its 2019 tax directory for parliamentarians, disclosing that Khan paid Rs. 9.8 million (equivalent to Rs. 50 million or US$172,727 in 2021) in taxes for that year. In 2023, Khan's net worth soared to an estimated Rs315.95 million and in the fiscal year ending 30 June 2023, he paid Rs. 15.59 million (equivalent to Rs. 79 million or US$270,000 in 2021) in income tax.

Political positions

Domestic policies

Khan speaking at the Chatham House in London, 2012.

Basing his wider paradigm on the poet-philosopher Muhammad Iqbal, the Iranian writer-sociologist Ali Shariati and the British diplomat-convert Charles Le Gai Eaton he came across in his youth, Khan is generally described as a Pakistani nationalist, as well as a populist. Khan's proclaimed political platform and declarations include Islamic values, to which he rededicated himself in the 1990s; liberal economics, with the promise of deregulating the economy and creating a welfare state; decreased bureaucracy and the implementation of anti-corruption laws to create and ensure a clean government; the establishment of an independent judiciary; overhaul of the country's police system; and an anti-militant vision for a democratic Pakistan.

Foreign relations

In 2010, Khan said in an interview: "I grew up hating India because I grew up in Lahore and there were massacres of 1947, so much bloodshed and anger. But as I started touring India, I got such love and friendship there that all this disappeared."

On Pakistan Day 2013, Imran Khan appeared on Capital Talk with Hamid Mir and called on the Pakistani government to apologize to Bangladesh for the atrocities committed in 1971 by the Pakistan Army. Just before a cricket match in Mirpur Stadium, Bangladesh, Mir asked Khan about the Bangladeshi crowd's support for Pakistan, to which Khan replied, "Bangladeshis will support the Pakistani cricket team." Mir then raised the issue of a government apology, to which Khan agreed, sharing that he had initially supported the army operation in 1971 but later learned the truth from his Bengali friends in England. Khan also recalled experiencing Bangladeshis' affection during a 1989 exhibition match in Mirpur. He stated, “Army operations always created hatred in Pakistan and we must apologise to Bangladeshis,” and emphasized that past mistakes should not be repeated in Balochistan and tribal areas. Imran Khan became the first Pakistani leader to demand an official apology from Pakistan to Bangladesh on live TV. On other occasions, he called the 1971 operation a "blunder" and likened it to the treatment of Pashtuns in the war on terror.

In August 2012, the Pakistani Taliban issued death threats against Khan if he proceeded with his march to their tribal stronghold near the Afghan border to protest U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan, because he calls himself a "liberal" – a term they associate with a lack of religious belief. On 1 October, Hakimullah Mehsud in consultation with senior commanders of the Pakistani Taliban withdrew the death threats and offered Khan protection for the rally because of Khan's opposition to drone attacks in Pakistan. A spokesmen said: "We are ready to provide them security if they need. We endorse Imran Khan's plea that drone strikes are against our sovereignty," adding, "the anti-drone rallies should have been taken out by the religious leaders long ago but Imran had taken the lead and we wouldn't harm him or his followers.

On 6 October, Khan led a convoy of 10,000 people, including some American members of the U.S.-based Code Pink antiwar group, which was stopped by hundreds of security personnel just miles from the South Waziristan border. After an hour of unsuccessful negotiations, Khan announced that the rally would return to the city of Tank, about 15 kilometers away, where he was expected to address the crowd. Earlier, speaking in Tank, Khan emphasized that the rally would not force its way into South Waziristan. "We want to reach Kotkai but we don’t want to fight with the administration because it is a peace march. We have already succeeded in our mission," Khan stated.

Khan in conversation with the United States Institute of Peace, 2019.

His perceived sympathy towards the Taliban, as well as his criticism of the US-led war on terror, has earned him the moniker "Taliban Khan" in Pakistani politics. Commenting on the moniker, Khan stated, "I've been called Taliban Khan for supporting the tribal Pashtuns and I've been called part of a Jewish conspiracy to take over Pakistan. I am of course neither." He believes in negotiations with the Taliban and the withdrawal of the Pakistan Army from Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). Khan opposed almost all military operations, including the Iraq War, Siege of Lal Masjid, and the Russian Invasion of Ukraine.

Khan views the Kashmir conflict as a humanitarian issue, as opposed to a territorial dispute between India and Pakistan. In 2013, he proposed secret talks to settle the issue as he thought the vested interests on both sides will try to subvert them. He ruled out a military solution to the conflict and denied the possibility of a fourth war between India and Pakistan over the disputed mountainous region.

In 2014, when the Pakistani Taliban announced armed struggle against Ismailis, denouncing them as non-Muslims, and the Kalash people, Khan released a statement describing "forced conversions as un-Islamic." He has also condemned the incidents of forced conversion of Hindu girls in Sindh.

On 21 November 2015, Imran Khan sent a letter to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, urging her to forgive Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury, leader of the Bangladesh National Party. Khan claimed there was "overwhelming" evidence that Chowdhury was studying at Punjab University during the 1971 War, making it impossible for him to have committed war crimes. In the letter, Khan argued, "If his execution is stopped, it will be in the larger interest not only of our region, but for the establishment of world peace and justice." Despite Khan's plea, Chowdhury, along with Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed of the Jamaat-e-Islami, was executed in Dhaka on 22 November.

After parliament passed a unanimous resolution keeping Pakistan out of the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen in April 2015, Khan took credit and stated that his party was responsible for "many critical clauses" of the resolution. On 8 January 2016, Khan visited the embassies of Iran and Saudi Arabia in Islamabad and met their head of commissions to understand their stances about the conflict that engulfed both nations after the Execution of Nimr al-Nimr by Saudi Arabia. He urged the Government of Pakistan to play a positive role to resolve the matter between both countries.

While Khan was Prime Minister-elect following the 2018 Pakistani general election, Michael Kugelman, deputy director and senior associate for South Asia at the Wilson Center, remarked, "One of the more striking elements of Imran Khan's message on foreign policy is his overtly pro-Iran statements, It's been quite some time since a top Pakistani leader has expressed such sympathies to Iran."

In 2021, Khan called on Muslim countries to pressure Western governments to make insulting the Islamic Prophet Muhammad a crime, "likening this measure to laws against Holocaust denial." Khan added, "We need to explain why this hurts us, when in the name of freedom of speech they insult the honour of the prophet... when 50 Muslim countries will unite and say this, and say that if something like this happens in any country, then we will launch a trade boycott on them and not buy their goods, that will have an effect."

Following the Taliban takeover of Kabul in 2021, Khan congratulated the Taliban for their victory in the 2001–2021 war, and urged the international community to support their new government. He also said that his government was negotiating a peace deal with the Pakistani Taliban with the help of the Afghan Taliban.

Public image

During the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, Khan was a popular sex symbol. He became known as a socialite in English high society, and sported a playboy image among the British press and paparazzi due to his "non-stop partying" at London nightclubs such as Annabel's and Tramp, although he said he hated English pubs and that he never drank alcohol. About his lifestyle as a bachelor, he has often said that, "I never claim to have led an angelic life."

Declan Walsh writing for the The Guardian in 2005, described Khan as a "miserable politician", observing that "Khan's ideas and affiliations since entering politics in 1996 have swerved and skidded like a rickshaw in a rainshower... He preaches democracy one day but gives a vote to reactionary mullahs the next." Khan has also been accused by some opponents and critics of hypocrisy and opportunism, including what has been called his life's "playboy to puritan U-turn." Political commentator Najam Sethi, stated in 2006: "A lot of the Imran Khan story is about backtracking on a lot of things he said earlier, which is why this doesn't inspire people."

In June 2011, a Pew Research Center poll showed Imran Khan with a 68 percent approval rating, significantly higher than Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani's 37 percent and President Asif Ali Zardari's 11 percent. Writing for The Washington Post that same year, Richard Leiby described Khan as an underdog, stating that he "often sounds like a pro-democracy liberal but is well known for his coziness with conservative Islamist parties." H. M. Naqvi similarly referred to Khan as a "sort of a Ron Paul figure," noting that "there is no taint of corruption and there is his anti-establishment message."

Author Fatima Bhutto has criticised Khan for "incredible coziness not with the military but with dictatorship" as well as some of his political decisions.

Pankaj Mishra writing for The New York Times in 2012, characterised Khan as a "cogent picture out of his—and Pakistan's—clashing identities" adding that "his identification with the suffering masses and his attacks on his affluent, English-speaking peers have long been mocked in the living rooms of Lahore and Karachi as the hypocritical ravings of "Im the Dim" and "Taliban Khan"—the two favored monikers for him." Mishra concluded with "like all populist politicians, Khan appears to offer something to everyone. Yet the great differences between his constituencies—socially liberal, upper-middle-class Pakistanis and the deeply conservative residents of Pakistan's tribal areas—seem irreconcilable."

On 18 March 2012, Salman Rushdie criticised Khan for refusing to attend the India Today Conference because of Rushdie's attendance. Khan cited the "immeasurable hurt" that Rushdie's writings have caused Muslims around the world. Rushdie, in turn, suggested that Khan was a "dictator in waiting."

After the 2013 Pakistani general election, Mohammed Hanif writing for The Guardian, termed Khan's support as appealing "to the educated middle classes but Pakistan's main problem is that there aren't enough educated urban middle-class citizens in the country."

Khan addressing an Interfaith Christmas Dinner in 2014

Ayesha Siddiqa, in September 2014, writing for The Express Tribune, said that "while we can all sympathise with Khan's right to change the political tone, it would be worthwhile for him to envision how he would, if he did become the prime minister of this country, put the genie back into the bottle."

Nevertheless, Khan's approval rating since he became Prime Minister remained comparatively robust for an officeholder in Pakistani politics, with a majority approving (51%), compared to 46% disapproval and 3% undecided. Other polls suggested his approval was as high as 57%. A survey by Gallup Pakistan published in March 2023 depicted an increase in approval ratings for Khan to 61%.

In popular culture

See also: Go Nawaz Go

During his cricketing days, Khan featured in many advertisements and television commercials as a celebrity brand endorser. These included Pepsi Pakistan, Brooke Bond, Thums Up (along with Sunil Gavaskar), and the Indian soap brand Cinthol, at a time when Bollywood legend Vinod Khanna was also endorsing the same product. His popularity in India was such that it was "unmatched in an era when there were no smartphones to take selfies. He was mobbed everywhere he went." The late veteran Bollywood actor Dev Anand even offered him a role in his sports action-thriller movie Awwal Number (1990), that of a cricket star in decline opposite an upcoming cricketer essayed by Aamir Khan, and as he refused, citing his lack of acting skills, the role eventually went to Aditya Pancholi.

In 2010, a Pakistani production house produced a biographical film based on Khan's life, titled Kaptaan: The Making of a Legend. The title, which is Urdu for "Captain", depicts Khan's captaincy and career with the Pakistan cricket team, which led them to victory in the 1992 cricket world cup, as well as events which shaped his life; from being ridiculed in cricket to being labelled a playboy; from the death of his mother to his efforts and endeavours in building the first cancer hospital in Pakistan; from being the first Chancellor of the University of Bradford to the building of Namal University.

In 2014, Canadian rock band Nickelback released a music video for its politically themed single "Edge of a Revolution", featuring a short clip of a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) rally among other protests. The brief clip from the rally shows red-and-green party flags along with a poster of PTI Chairman Imran Khan, who was the most popular opposition leader.

Controversies

Allegation of sexual harassment

In 2017, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) member Ayesha Gulalai alleged that she was sexually harassed by Khan, who was party chairman. Gulalai said Khan had sent her "inappropriate text messages." Gulalai made the allegations and quit the PTI just prior to the election of a new prime minister, citing "ill-treatment" of female party members as the reason for leaving. The timing of Gulalai's allegations was met with suspicion, as there were rumours that she had recently met with Amir Muqam, a leader of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N). Gulalai denied these rumours, stating that she was not joining the PML-N.

Imran Khan denied the allegations and expressed support for Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi's proposal to form a special committee to investigate the harassment claims made by Gulalai. Khan stated that he refrained from further commenting on the issue to avoid impacting Gulalai's life but welcomed an investigation into the matter. He said, "I have never sent indecent messages to her [Gulalai]. I challenge the [proposed] committee to find [the indecent texts] if there are any." Khan also called for the commission to examine alleged messages sent by PML-N leader Amir Muqam to Gulalai's father.

Khan called for scrutiny of a private media group's Editor-in-Chief's phone records, alleging that the issue was raised after four years for political reasons. He accused the PML-N of orchestrating the episode, claiming that "Gulalai was used by the PML (N) and the party was also using [the media group] for its own interests." Khan demanded a comprehensive investigation, further alleging that "money has changed hands" in connection with the matter. He also criticised the PML-N, referencing past incidents involving figures like Nusrat Bhutto, Jemima Goldsmith, and Sita White, and accused the party of using such controversies for political gains. Khan described the PML (N)'s actions as "shameless" and vowed to "chase them till my last breath."

Alleged victim-blaming

In 2021, Khan faced criticism after suggesting that women's clothing could lead to an increase in sexual assault. During an interview with Axios journalist Jonathan Swan, Khan responded to a question about Pakistan's rape crisis by stating, "If a woman is wearing very few clothes it will have an impact on the man unless they are robots. It's common sense." His comments were widely condemned. Women's rights groups, including the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, demanded an apology, arguing that his remarks perpetuate harmful stereotypes by portraying men as "helpless aggressors" and women as "knowing" victims. Critics, such as politician Maryam Nawaz, labelled Khan a "rape apologist," while activist Kanwal Ahmed expressed concerns about the message his words sent to perpetrators.

Then Special Assistant to the Prime Minister, Raoof Hasan, argued that Khan's comments on rape were taken out of context. Raoof stated that Khan's government had taken "groundbreaking" measures to increase women's rights and that Khan was attempting to stir a discussion through his statements. Zartaj Gul, a minister in Khan's cabinet at the time, referred to Khan as a "symbol of women empowerment" and argued that his statements had been taken out of context.

Khan later clarified his comments in an interview with Judy Woodruff on PBS News Hour, stating, "Anyone who commits rape, solely and solely, that person is responsible, no matter whatever – how much ever a woman is provocative or whatever she wears, the person who commits rape, he is fully responsible. Never is the victim responsible." Regarding his previous remarks on the issue, Khan said his comments were "completely taken out of context." He emphasized that he would never say such "a stupid thing, it's always the rapist that is responsible."

Comments on Pashtun nationalism

In his virtual address at the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly on 24 September 2021, Khan remarked “Then all along the tribal belt (FATA) bordering Afghanistan, – Pakistan's semi-autonomous tribal belt – where no Pakistan army had been there since our independence, they [the Pashtuns] had strong sympathies with the Afghan Taliban, not because of their religious ideology but because of Pashtun nationalism, which is very strong." His comments prompted outrage among many Pashtuns, who called on him to apologise. Khan made similar comments also on 11 October, which triggered a protest in Peshawar the next day by the leftist Mazdoor Kisan Party (MKP). The Awami National Party (ANP) and the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) also condemned Khan for "linking the Pashtuns with terrorists."

During his keynote address at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation's (OIC) Extraordinary Session of Foreign Ministers on 19 December 2021, which was held in Islamabad to discuss the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, Khan said that not allowing girls to study was part of Afghan culture, and that the world should respect that. His remarks were criticised by many people from Afghanistan and Pakistan, including former Afghan president Hamid Karzai. Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai also slammed Khan's remarks, saying: "I nearly lost my life fighting against the Taliban's ban on girls' education."

Misogynistic remarks

In 2022, during his speech, Imran Khan referenced a clip of Maryam Nawaz's speech, in which she mentioned his name multiple times. Khan remarked: "Someone sent me a clip on social media of Maryam's speech, somewhere. She took my name so many times and with so much passion, I want to tell her that Maryam, please be careful, your husband might get upset the way you call my name again and again." Khan's comments followed Maryam's repeated criticisms of him and his wife, Bushra Bibi. Perceived as inappropriate and misogynistic, the comments sparked significant criticism from both his opponents and some supporters.

Awards and honours

Main article: List of awards and honours received by Imran Khan

Decoration		Country	Date	Note	Ref.
	Order of the Renaissance	Bahrain	17 December 2019	First Class, the highest honour of Bahrain awarded to foreign dignitaries
	Order of King Abdul Aziz - Class I	Saudi Arabia	24 October 2021	First Class, the highest honour of Saudi Arabia awarded to foreign dignitaries

Writing

Khan has published six works of non-fiction, including an autobiography co-written with Patrick Murphy. In the late 1980s, he served as editor of The Cricketer, a London-based cricket magazine. He periodically wrote editorials on cricket and Pakistani politics in several leading Pakistani and British newspapers. It was revealed in 2008 that Khan's second book, Indus Journey: A Personal View of Pakistan, had required heavy editing from the publisher. The publisher, Jeremy Lewis, revealed in a memoir that when he asked Khan to show his writing for publication, "He handed me a leather-bound notebook or diary containing a few jottings and autobiographical snippets. It took me, at most, five minutes to read them; and that, it soon became apparent, was all we had to go on." Khan's autobiography was published in 2011, detailing his transition from cricketer to politician, as well as the challenges he faced in his philanthropic work.

Khan has also penned op-eds in various media outlets, including CNN where he advocated for conversation and restoration of damaged natural ecosystems.

In June 2024, reports emerged that Imran, while in prison, has been writing a book over the past few months and has already completed over 300 pages.

• Khan, Imran (1975). West and East. Macmillan Publishers. ISBN 978-0-333-90059-8.
• Khan, Imran; Murphy, Patrick (1983). Imran: The Autobiography of Imran Khan. Pelham Books. ISBN 978-0-7207-1489-0.
• Khan, Imran (1989). Imran Khan's Cricket Skills. London: Golden Press in association with Hamlyn. ISBN 978-0-600-56349-5.
• Khan, Imran (1991). Indus Journey: A Personal View of Pakistan. Chatto & Windus. ISBN 978-0-7011-3527-0.
• Khan, Imran (1992). All Round View. Mandarin. ISBN 978-0-7493-1499-6.
• Khan, Imran (1993). Warrior Race: A Journey Through the Land of the Tribal Pathans. Chatto & Windus. ISBN 978-0-7011-3890-5.
• Khan, Imran (2011). Pakistan: A Personal History. Bantam Press. ISBN 978-0-593-06774-1.
• Khan, Imran (2014). Main Aur Mera Pakistan. Orient Paperback. ISBN 978-81-222056-8-8.

See also

• Arrest of Imran Khan
• Electoral history of Imran Khan
• Goldsmith family
• Pets of Imran Khan
• List of international cricket five-wicket hauls by Imran Khan
• List of sportsperson-politicians
• List of international prime ministerial trips made by Imran Khan

References

Footnotes

Citations

Bibliography

• Hutchins, Chris; Midgley, Dominic (2015), Goldsmith: Money, Women and Power, BookBaby, p. 163, ISBN 978-0-9933566-3-6
• Tennant, Ivo (1996). Imran Khan. Trafalgar Square Publishing. ISBN 978-0-575-05936-8.
• Huzur, Frank (2011). Imran Versus Imran: The Untold Story. Falcon & Falcon. ISBN 978-8192055107. Archived from the original on 7 October 2013.
• Sandford, Christopher (2009). Imran Khan: The Cricketer, the Celebrity, the Politician. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-00-731888-9.
• Sadiq, B. J. (2017). Let There Be Justice: The Political Journey of Imran Khan. Fonthill Media. ISBN 978-1-78155-637-5.
• Khan, Reham (2018), Reham Khan, HarperCollins Publishers India, ISBN 978-9-35-302322-5
• Morgan, Piers (2012), The Insider: The Private Diaries of a Scandalous Decade, Random House, p. 81, ISBN 978-1-4464-9168-3
• Waseem, Mohammad (April 2022). Political Conflict in Pakistan. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-765426-2. Retrieved 7 October 2024.

External links

• Imran Khan on Twitter (English)
• Imran Khan on Twitter (Arabic)
• Imran Khan at ESPNcricinfo
• Column archive at The Guardian
• Imran Khan's journey from cricketing Playboy to Politician – Journeyman Pictures
• 1990s Interview, Cricketer Imran Khan at Home – thekinolibrary
• "Stop fighting and start talking" (video). NBC News. 14 December 2011.