According to Syed Zulfikar Bukhari, a spokesperson for Khan’s party, Tehreek-e-Insaf, Khan has expressed his interest in running for the position and his application is being reviewed.

Khan, a former cricket star, served as Pakistan’s prime minister from 2018 to 2022 and has been in jail for about a year on various charges, including corruption and inciting violence. He claims the charges are politically motivated to prevent him from coming to power.

The spokesperson for Tehreek-e-Insaf said the position is ceremonial but carries significant prestige. Khan, a graduate of Oxford University, would be a popular choice, and his election would be a “shining moment” for the university.

In February, Chris Patten, a conservative figure and the last British governor of Hong Kong, announced he would step down as Oxford University’s chancellor.

According to the university’s website, the list of nominees for the 10-year chancellorship will be announced in October, followed by a vote at the end of the month.

Khan graduated from Oxford in 1975 with a degree in philosophy, politics, and economics. He later became a prominent cricket player and, after being ousted as prime minister in 2022, launched a campaign criticizing Pakistan’s powerful military and mobilizing his supporters.

If elected, Khan would become the first Asian chancellor of Oxford University, according to his party’s spokesperson.

Other notable Oxford graduates nominated for the position include William Hague, the former British foreign secretary, and Peter Mandelson, the former European Union trade commissioner.

NOURNEWS