Oxford graduate, cricket star, reformist politician: the many faces of Imran Khan

Islamabad – Pakistani cricket hero turned politician Imran Khan wounded in Thursday’s shooting, Since sacking the prime minister in April, he has shown no sign of withdrawing from politics.

A 70-year-old man was injured when a man opened fire on a convoy. lead a protest march to Islamabad Call for a dissolution general election. He had been ousted as prime minister amid public dissatisfaction with high inflation, mounting deficits and rampant corruption that Mr Khan had promised to wipe out.

Mr Khan was kicked out of the office In what his aide at the time called a judicial coup by the Supreme Court, he overturned his decision to dissolve Parliament and ordered the members to return to the House of Commons.

His defection from the ruling coalition meant he lost the ensuing “no confidence” vote.

He is one of a long list of elected Pakistani prime ministers who have failed to confirm a full term since independence in 1947.

In 2018, the cricket legend who led Pakistan to its only World Cup win in 1992 has rallied the nation behind his vision of a corruption-free and prosperous nation respected abroad. But the provocative nationalist fame and charisma weren’t enough.

Ironically, for a politician once criticized for being under the control of a powerful military establishment, his expulsion is among signs that his relationship with military general Kamal Javed Bajwa is deteriorating. happened in

The military, which has played a major role in Pakistan, which has ruled the country for almost half of its history and controlled some of the largest economic institutions, has said it will remain politically neutral.

lofty promise

Handsome and charismatic, Mr Khan came to the attention of the cricket world in the early 1970s as an aggressive, fast-paced bowler with a distinctive leaping action.

He went on to become one of the world’s best all-rounders and a hero in cricket-mad Pakistan. And until his World Cup victory in 1992, he was a capricious star, captaining his team and encouraging his players with his famous battle cry. Fight “like a cornered tiger”.

After retiring from cricket that year, he became known for his philanthropic work, raising US$25 million (SGD35.6 million) to open a cancer hospital in memory of his mother, then his Tehreek-i- He entered politics by founding Insaf (PTI). , or Pakistan Justice Party, 1996.

Despite his fame, the PTI dwindled amid Pakistan’s political devastation, winning no other seat than Mr Khan for 17 years.

However, there were dramatic moments during this period. In 2007, Khan escaped house arrest by jumping a wall during a crackdown on opposition forces by then-army ruler General Pervez Musharraf.