Khan at a promotional event for Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola in 2013 | |
Born | 13 January 1983 (age 36) Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. |
---|---|
Nationality | American[1] |
Alma mater | Fremont High School Bombay Scottish School New York Film Academy |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 2008–2015 |
Spouse(s) | |
Children | 1[2] |
Relatives | Aamir Khan (Uncle) Mansoor Khan (Uncle) Nasir Hussain (Grand-father) Raj Zutshi (Step-Father) |
Imran Khan (pronounced [ɪmraːn ˈxaːn]; born Imran Pal 13 January 1983) is an American film actor of Indian origin,[1] who appears in Hindi films. He is the nephew of actor Aamir Khan and director-producer Mansoor Khan, and the grandson of director-producer Nasir Hussain. He appeared as a child artist in the films Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988) and Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander (1992).
Khan made his adult acting debut in 2008 with the romantic comedy Jaane Tu.. Ya Jaane Na, which was a critical and commercial success. His performance in the film won him the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut. After the failure of his next two films, Khan was written off by the media, calling him a 'one film wonder'. He then starred in a number of commercially successful films like I Hate Luv Storys (2010), Delhi Belly (2011) and Mere Brother Ki Dulhan (2011), which is his last commercially successful film. It was followed by a series of box-office flops.
Apart from acting in films, Khan is a social activist, and has written columns for the Hindustan Times. He is a supporter of PETA, having appeared in events organised for the group. He married Avantika Malik in January 2011, after a ten-year relationship.
Imran Khan was born as Imran Pal[3] on 13 January 1983 in Madison, Wisconsin, United States to Anil Pal, a software engineer,[4] and Nuzhat Khan, a psychologist. Imran's grandfather was a Bengali who married a British woman.[4][5] Imran's father is a Bengali Hindu who works as a senior manager at Yahoo in Silicon Valley, USA. Imran's mother is a Muslim from a film family, daughter of the director-producer Nasir Hussain, sister of director-producer Mansoor Khan and cousin of actor Aamir Khan.[5][6]
Khan's parents divorced when he was still a toddler, after which his mother moved to Mumbai.[7] In an interview, Khan called his step-father, Raj Zutshi, as the father figure during his growing years.[8] He was enrolled at Bombay Scottish School, where he developed a stammer due to corporal punishments such as caning.[9] According to Khan, his grades fell and his academic career went into a 'strong decline' due to his inability to cope with his new environment and radically changed family situation; he became nervous and developed facial tics.[9] Meanwhile, his mother married again and found it convenient to send him to a boarding school, choosing Blue Mountain School in distant Coonoor, Tamil Nadu.[10][11] After a period of depression in Coonoor, Khan adjusted and grew into the environment; he later described his experience there as 'phenomenal,' although his grades remained poor. When the principal of that school left to start his own school, Khan and several other students followed him to a Gurukul in the jungles of Ooty.[10] The new school had no electricity, the students were required to wash their clothes in a creek and they even grew some of the food they ate.[10] Khan later admitted that frequently changing schools made him independent but also a loner.[7]
Khan then moved to Sunnyvale, California, where he lived with his father and attended Fremont High School.[12] Upon graduation, he aspired to become a film director, and went to Los Angeles to pursue a degree in filmmaking at the Los Angeles branch of the New York Film Academy.[12][13] Studying direction, writing and cinematography, Khan was inspired by writer Roald Dahl.[7][14] After receiving his degree, he ventured into market research and advertising.[7] He eventually returned to Mumbai and trained at the Kishore Namit Kapoor Acting Institute.[5]
Pdf libros en espanol. Khan appeared in the films Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988) and Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander (1992) as a child artist, both times playing the role of a young Aamir Khan.[15][16]
While training at the acting institute, Khan began networking and met writer-director Abbas Tyrewala, who offered him the lead role in Jaane Tu.. Ya Jaane Na (2008).[14] After producer Jhamu Sugandh experienced financial difficulties they offered the script to Aamir Khan, who agreed to finance the film.[15][17] The romantic comedy received positive reviews and was a commercial success,[18] earning ₹830 million (US$12 million) worldwide.[19] Khan's portrayal of Jai Singh Rathore (Rats)—a boy who does not believe in violence—was praised by critics. Khalid Mohammed mentioned that 'the enterprise belongs to debutant Imran Khan who comes up with an intelligent and restrained performance.'[20]Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN called him 'the best young actor' of the time, describing his performance as 'unconventional and vulnerable' and stating that it created 'a lasting impression.'[21] Khan won the Best Male Debut at the 54th Filmfare Awards, sharing the award with Farhan Akhtar.[22]
Following Jaane Tu.. Ya Jaane Na, Khan starred in Sanjay Gadhvi's thriller Kidnap. He was cast as Kabir Sharma, a kidnapper who abducts a girl to settle an old score with her father, played by Minissha Lamba and Sanjay Dutt, respectively. The actor was initially hesitant to play the part (calling it 'tricky and tough') because he couldn't relate to the character; according to him, he would not have been able to do it without Gadhvi's support and backing.[23] In preparation for his role, Khan listened to metal and rock music for a year to become aggressive.[23] While the film was a critical failure, his performance was generally well received by critics. Gaurav Malani, in a review for The Economic Times, wrote: 'Imran Khan is effective as the intelligent abductor who's always two steps ahead of his opponent. However, the natural actor could go easy on his lip movements that appear synthetic at times.'[24][25]Kidnap was also a commercial failure.[26]
In 2009, Khan featured alongside an ensemble cast including Dutt, Shruti Haasan, Mithun Chakraborty and Danny Denzongpa in Soham Shah's action thriller Luck, playing Ram Mehra—an average middle-class man in dire need of money and ready to do anything for it.[27] In an interview he said that the stunts (and the 'unusual' concept of human betting) inspired him to sign the film.[28] He burnt his eyelashes while shooting the climax scene.[28] It was a commercial failure[29] and generated negative reviews from critics, as did Khan's performance. Rediff.com's Raja Sen stated that the performance lacked the charm of his earlier ones.[30]
After the failure of Kidnap and Luck, Khan received fewer film offers, until Karan Johar approached him for the lead role in I Hate Luv Storys (2010).[31] Directed by Punit Malhotra, the romantic comedy saw him portray Jai Dhingra, a young Casanova who does not believe in the concept of love and romance. The film garnered mixed reviews from critics;[32] Khan's performance was generally well received. Komal Nahta wrote, 'Imran Khan is endearing and does well for a good part of the film. But he does need to improve in emotional scenes. [He] is free and lovable in the light scenes.[33][34][35]I Hate Luv Storys was a domestic and international box-office success, earning ₹725.2 million (US$10 million).[19][36] Khan expressed his gratitude that Johar gave him the opportunity.[31] His next appearance was in Danish Aslam's coming-of-age romantic comedy Break Ke Baad. A commercial failure,[37] the film (and his performance) received mixed reviews;[38] while Namrata Joshi of Outlook labelled his performance 'earnest',[39]Anupama Chopra said that 'Imran is saddled with a bland, supporting role'.[40]
In 2011, Khan earned positive reviews for his role in Abhinay Deo's English language black comedyDelhi Belly.[41] He was cast as Tashi, a journalist caught up in a hunt for diamonds—smuggled for a crime boss in Delhi—he and his roommates (Kunaal Roy Kapur and Vir Das) have mistakenly taken. The film opened to critical acclaim and was a commercial success, with a domestic revenue of over ₹550 million (US$8.0 million).[42] A review in Mid Day described his performance as 'refreshingly good'[43] and Nikhat Kazmi of The Times of India called it his best work to date.[44] Khan said 'It is the kind of film that I have always wanted to do, and it is very different to what has been done before in Hindi cinema.'[45] Later that year, Khan acted in Ali Abbas Zafar's romantic comedy Mere Brother Ki Dulhan. It received mixed reviews, but was a box-office success, with domestic earnings of over ₹578 million (US$8.4 million).[46] Khan played Kush Agnihotri, a man who falls in love with his brother's bride, played by Ali Zafar and Katrina Kaif, respectively. His performance was praised by critics; Sify's Sonia Chopra referred to him as 'instantly likeable'.[47][48]
For his next feature film, Khan starred as Rahul Kapoor, an uptight architect, in Shakun Batra's directorial debut Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu (2012) with Kareena Kapoor. The romantic comedy, set in Las Vegas, is the story of two strangers who get married one night after they get drunk. Khan described his character as 'a guy who lives his life according to his parents' wishes.'[49] Critical reaction to the film and his performance was positive, with Rajeev Masand writing that 'Imran Khan slips comfortably into his role'.[50]Karan Anshuman of Mumbai Mirror opined, 'Imran Khan is superbly cast and he doesn't let down. His body language slackens in progression as the script demands and he is absolutely spot on with his comic timing.'[51][52]Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu was a modest commercial success, earning a total of ₹530 million (US$7.7 million) in India and abroad.[53]
In 2013, Khan appeared in three films, the first being Vishal Bhardwaj's Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola, a political satire set in the rustic surroundings of a village in Haryana. Co-starring with Pankaj Kapur, Anushka Sharma and Shabana Azmi, Khan played Hukum Singh Matru, an educated community activist and Kapur's right-hand man. To prepare for the role, he lived in Delhi for three months and learned to speak Haryanvi from theatre group Act One.[54][55] The film (and his performance) generated mixed reviews from critics, and its eventual box-office profit was poor.[56][57]Reuters' Shilpa Jamkhandikar wrote, 'Imran Khan goes red in the face trying to muster up a Haryanvi accent and act tough. You can actually see the effort in his acting and that's why it jars all the more.'[58] Subhash K Jha described it as a good effort, at best.[59] Khan also sang for the film's soundtrack in 'Chaar Dina Ki'.[60]
Khan's next film role was alongside Akshay Kumar and Sonakshi Sinha in Milan Luthria's period romantic-drama Once Upon Ay Time In Mumbai Dobaara! (a sequel to 2010's Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai).[61][62] Critical reaction to the film and Khan's portrayal of a gangster was mixed. While Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express found him unconvincing,[63]NDTV's Saibal Chatterjee wrote, 'He provides evidence that he can handle a wider range of roles than he is usually allowed to play.'[64] Also that year, he starred opposite Kareena Kapoor in Punit Malhotra's romantic comedy Gori Tere Pyaar Mein, a critical and commercial failure.[65]
In 2015, Khan acted in Nikhil Advani's romantic comedy Katti Batti, opposite Kangana Ranaut. The film opened to mixed reviews and was another box-office failure for him; it is his final release till date.[66]
Besides acting in films, Khan is a social activist. He often speaks about issues related to Indian society and young people (including the elimination of violence against women, political awareness and sex education).[67][68] In 2009, he participated in Eve Ensler's play The Vagina Monologues in celebration of completing 200 shows in India and V-Day. The event was a fundraiser whose beneficiaries included Haseena Hussein (a girl who was blinded and disfigured in an acid attack in Bangalore in 1999), and several other NGOs.[69][70] Khan endorses People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), and has appeared in a number of advertisements in support of the organisation. In 2010 he appeared with his dog, Tony, urging viewers to adopt stray dogs instead of buying purebred animals.[71] Khan filmed a second advertisement in 2011, titled 'Tony Changed My Life. You Can Change a Homeless Dog's Life. Please Adopt', after Tony's death in which he continued to advocate for the adoption of animals and not treating them as fashion statements.[72]
In 2011, Khan and his brother-in-law, Vedant Malik, opposed the Maharashtra state government's new law raising the drinking age to 25 by filing a public-interest litigation (PIL) against it.[73] In an interview given to The Times of India he said; 'It's completely unfair to expect that one has to wait till 25 years to exercise his freedom of choice regarding one's lifestyle. Young India is not as irresponsible as the older establishment assumes it to be.'[74] He walked the ramp to support Shabana Azmi's charitable initiative, Mijwan Welfare Society, an NGO dedicated to empowering girls.[75] He said that he feels privileged to have been brought up in a family surrounded by strong women.[76] In 2013, Khan along with his wife Avantika Malik and mother Nuzhat Khan, purchased a four-acre land which will be converted into an animal shelter with veterinary doctors and staff who will attend to the rescued animals until they are adopted.[77][78]
In December 2013, it was announced that Khan, along with famed comedy group All India Bakchod, will be heading up a campaign against the recently reinstated ban on gay sex in India through a satirical video highlighting ignorance around gay issues.[79] Speaking to Hindustan Times, Khan said: “I’ve always been involved with gay rights. The scenario in this country is disheartening and depressing. These are basic human rights that people are being denied of; they’re no minority. The idea of this initiative is to show those who do not support homosexuality, how ridiculous their thinking is.” Other Bollywood stars have spoken out to condemn the reintroduction of the law.[80]
In 2014, it was announced that he had joined other Bollywood and international celebrities in the TeachAIDS initiative, a state-of-the-art approach to worldwide HIV prevention, developed at Stanford University.[81]
Khan became a columnist for the Hindustan Times in March 2009,[82] and continues contributing occasionally to the paper.[83] Khan has condemned to promote alcohol and tobacco products,[84] saying that he only represents brands he can relate to.[85] He has endorsed several products (including Coca-Cola, Levis, MTS India, Maaza, Bru and Lux, having appeared in television and print advertisements.[86][87][88][89][90]
Khan's parents divorced when he was a year and a half old.[7] His mother then married actor Raj Zutshi; they divorced in 2006.[91] Khan says that they remained cordial and that he felt supported by all three of his parents.[92] He retained his mother's maiden name as a tribute to her because she raised him on her own.[3] The actor lives with his family in Pali Hill, a suburban neighbourhood in Mumbai.[93]
Khan began dating Avantika Malik (daughter of Vandana Malik, CEO of the CNBC-TV18 business news channel),[94] at age 19 . He later attributed his personal growth to his relationship with Malik: 'I have learned a lot about myself and become a more balanced person.'[7] His openness about their relationship at an early stage of his career received much press coverage;[17][95] Sitanshi Talati-Parikh of Verve commented, 'he does not see any danger in tagging himself as 'unavailable'.[7] Khan later explained that he did not believe in hiding their relationship;[96] he cited Aamir Khan, Shahrukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan, all of whom married early in their careers and remained popular.[97] The couple was engaged on 16 January 2010, in a farmhouse owned by Avantika's family in Karjat (near Navi Mumbai).[98] They married a year later (on 10 January 2011) in a private civil ceremony at Aamir Khan's home in Pali Hill.[99][100] On December 6, 2013, it was announced that the couple were expecting their first child[101] and on June 9, 2014, Malik gave birth to a baby girl,[102][103] Imara Malik Khan.[104]
Khan's non-controversial lifestyle has generated speculation in the mass media.[105][106] During an interview, he said he does not rely on controversy and rumours to stay in the news.[107] The actor also asserted that he prefers to stay away from the limelight when not promoting his films.[108]
Khan has been described as one of the most popular celebrities in India, in the past.[109][110][111] His eyes and lips have been mentioned as his most distinctive physical features.[112] In 2011, Bombay Dost, India's first legal gay magazine, labelled him a 'gay icon'.[113] The following year he was featured on GQ India's list of 'Bollywood's 11 Best-Dressed Actors', which described his style sense: 'grown and matured into an irresistible combination of goody-two-shoesness and an urbane sophistication.'[109] In 2013, he ranked fortieth on Forbes' 'Celebrity 100', a list based on the income and popularity of India's biggest entertainers.[114]
Following his successful adult acting debut in Jaane Tu.. Ya Jaane Na, Khan starred in Kidnap and Luck; both were critical and commercial failures, leading to his being written off by the media as a 'one-film wonder'.[115] He later starred in a series of romantic comedies, most of which were commercially successful, but received mixed response from critics.[116] Writing for CNN-IBN, Rituparna Chatterjee criticized his unwillingness to 'get out of his comfort zone'; she explained, 'Imran's unassuming charm, while it works in films that also have strong women leads, fails to really create an emotional connect with audiences who go away thinking 'what a nice boy!''[117]
After moving from his 'lover boy' image in Delhi Belly and Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola,[87] Khan was noted for experimenting with different genres and character types.[118][119] According to Daily Mail's Priyanka Srivastava, 'Imran's image as a simple boy has charmed the audience [..] and helped him make a place in Bollywood. He has the ability to underplay characters with confidence and has proved his versatility.'[120]The Hindu's Vijay Nair, however, labelled him as 'unconvincing' and said that he '[delivers] performances that suffer in comparison to what his co stars bring to the film.'[121] Khan has been compared to his uncle Aamir Khan, whom he describes as a major influence on his life.[111][122]
Denotes films that have not yet been released |
Year | Film | Role | Director | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1988 | Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak | Young Raj | Mansoor Khan | Child artist |
1992 | Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar | Young Sanjaylal | Mansoor Khan | Child artist |
2008 | Jaane Tu.. Ya Jaane Na | Jai Singh Rathore (Rats) | Abbas Tyrewala | Debut as Male Lead |
Kidnap | Kabir Sharma | Sanjay Gadhvi | ||
2009 | Luck | Ram Mehra | Soham Shah | |
2010 | I Hate Luv Storys | Jay Dhingra | Punit Malhotra | |
Jhootha Hi Sahi | Akash (Caller No 1) | Abbas Tyrewala | Voice-over | |
Break Ke Baad | Abhay Gulati | Danish Aslam | ||
2011 | Delhi Belly | Tashi Dorjee Lhatoo | Abhinay Deo | English-language film |
Mere Brother Ki Dulhan | Kush Agnihotri | Ali Abbas Zafar | ||
2012 | Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu | Rahul Kapoor | Shakun Batra | |
2013 | Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola | Hukum Singh Matru | Vishal Bhardwaj | Also playback singer for song 'Chaar Dina Ki' |
Bombay Talkies | Himself | Multiple | Special appearance in song 'Apna Bombay Talkies' | |
Once Upon ay Time in Mumbai Dobaara! | Aslam | Milan Luthria | ||
Gori Tere Pyaar Mein | Sriram Venkat | Punit Malhotra | ||
2015 | Katti Batti | Madhav 'Maddy' Kabra | NIkhil Advani | |
2018 | Mission Mars: Keep Walking India[123] | Himself | Debut as director |
Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2009 | Filmfare Awards | Best Male Debut | Jaane Tu.. Ya Jaane Na | Won | [22] |
Apsara Film & Television Producers Guild Awards | Best Male Debut | Won | [124] | ||
Sabsey Favourite Kaun Awards | Sabsey Naya Hero | Won | [125] | ||
Screen Awards | Most Promising Newcomer – Male | Nominated | [126] | ||
Stardust Awards | Superstar of Tomorrow – Male | Nominated | [126] | ||
The New Menace | Kidnap | Nominated | [126] | ||
International Indian Film Academy Awards | Best Villain | Nominated | [126] | ||
Apsara Film & Television Producers Guild Awards | Best Actor in a Negative Role | Nominated | [127] | ||
AXN Action Awards | Best Actor in a Negative Role | Won | [128] | ||
2010 | Stardust Awards | Superstar of Tomorrow – Male | Luck | Nominated | [129] |
2011 | Screen Awards | Best Actor (Popular Choice) | I Hate Luv Storys | Nominated | [130] |
Stardust Awards | Best Actor – Comedy/Romance | Nominated | [131] | ||
GQ Men of the Year Awards | Chivas Award for Outstanding Achievement | Won | [132] | ||
2012 | Zee Cine Awards | International Male Icon | Nominated | [133] | |
Screen Awards | Best Actor (Popular Choice) | Delhi Belly & Mere Brother Ki Dulhan | Nominated | [134] | |
Best Ensemble Cast | Delhi Belly | Nominated | [134] | ||
People's Choice Awards India | Favorite Youth Icon | Nominated | [135] | ||
2013 | Screen Awards | Best Actor (Popular Choice) | Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu | Nominated | [136] |
Stardust Awards | Best Actor – Comedy/Romance | Nominated | [137] |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Imran Khan (actor). |
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan’s third wife Bushra Manek has reportedly returned to her maternal home following a domestic dispute over the ex-cricketer’s pet dogs.
As per a report by Times of Islamabad , Imran Khan’s pet dogs, who had earlier been expelled from his palatial house, have returned and are seen wandering around the house.
Imran Khan had earlier refuted rumours about kicking out his dog, saying the canine in question had died a few years ago.
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The presence of dogs reportedly interfered in the religious activities of Manek due to which she wanted the expulsion of the dogs from the house.
Further, Manek’s child from her previous marriage was living at Imran’s Bani Gala residence for a long time which flouted a said rule between them that no family member of Manek shall be living at Imran’s residence for a longer period.
It has also been reported that Imran’s sisters were living at Bani Gala and were actively taking part in its renovation work which was not appreciated by Manek.
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Khan had secretly married his spiritual mentor Bushra Maneka last month amid media frenzy over his third marriage.
First Published: Apr 25, 2018 18:06 IST
Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan has announced his third marriage to Bushra Maneka, a ‘pir’ or faith healer, in Lahore on Sunday, with his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party releasing pictures of the ‘nikaah’ ceremony.
Khan, 65, had been visiting Bushra, also known as Pinki Pir, to seek spiritual guidance after meeting her a couple of years ago, media reports have said.
The photos of the ceremony showed Khan, clad simply in a dark blazer and white shalwar-kameez, sitting on a sofa next to Bushra, who was covered from head to toe by a veil, with only her eyes visible. Several others, including PTI leaders Awn Chaudhry and Zulfi Bukhari, were present.
PTI spokesperson Fawad Chaudhary said Khan got married with Maneka in “a simple ceremony” held at the home of the bride’s brother. Bushra’s mother and other family members and friends joined the ceremony. Khan’s sisters did not attend, media reports said.
Mufti Muhammed Saeed performed the ‘nikaah’ and Awn Chaudhary and Zulfi Bukhari were the witnesses. The ceremony was low-profile in keeping with Khan’s wishes, PTI leader Inamul Haq said.
A statement issued by the PTI on Sunday night said: “Marriage is the combination of two hearts and two souls, which join each other on this special day of the wedding. Wishing (the couple) a very happy and blessed married life.”
Haq expressed hope that Khan’s marriage “would prove blessed not only for him and his wife but for the entire nation”, Dawn News reported.
PTI leaders such as Shireen Mazari, Jahangir Tareen and former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi congratulated Khan and his new wife on Twitter.
Bushra is in her 40s and belongs to the Wattoo clan, of which the Manekas are a sub-clan. She was earlier married to Khawar Farid Maneka, a senior customs official but the couple divorced some months ago.
Khan first tied the knot with British socialite Jemima Khan in May 1995. The union ended in divorce in June 2004 after the couple had two sons. His January 2015 marriage to TV anchor Reham Khan ended in divorce in 10 months.
He had said in a 2016 interview with Hindustan Times that he would not give up the idea of marrying again. “It’s not in my blood to give up. But it takes a lot…(the idea of marriage) is even more open than before. But marrying at 60 is not like marrying at 30,” Khan had said.
The News daily had reported last month that Khan had married for the third time in a secret ceremony on January 1. The PTI denied the report and Khan said he had only proposed marriage to Bushra.
Khan also said Bushra had sought some time to consult her family, especially her children. He had also stressed the need for restraint, asking the media to “give the two families, especially the children, their privacy”.
Local media reports said that over the past few years, Khan had quietly been visiting a remote town in Sahiwal of Punjab province where he stayed at the residence of his hosts, who belong to the influential Maneka clan.
The reports suggested that Khan had met there with Bushra for spiritual advice.
First Published: Feb 19, 2018 08:30 IST
Khan in 2019 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Assumed office 18 August 2018 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
President | Mamnoon Hussain Arif Alvi | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Nasirul Mulk(caretaker) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Assumed office 25 April 1996 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Deputy | Shah Mehmood Qureshi | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Position established | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Member of the National Assembly | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Assumed office 13 August 2018 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 – 7 December 2014 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | The Baroness Lockwood | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Kate Swann | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal details | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi 5 October 1952 (age 66) Lahore, Pakistan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Political party | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Spouse(s) | Reham Khan (m. 2015; div. 2015) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Domestic partner | Emma Sergeant (1982–1986)[1] Sita White (c. 1987–1991)[2][3] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Children | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Education | Keble College, Oxford (B.A. (Hons.) in PPE) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Salary | ₨1.68 million (US$12,000)[4] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net worth | ₨1.4 billion (US$9.9 million)[5] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Awards | Hilal-e-Imtiaz 1992 Pride of Performance 1983 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Signature | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nickname(s) | Kaptaan[6][7] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)[8] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Batting | Right-handed batsman | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bowling | Right-arm fast | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Role | All-rounder | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Website | pmo.gov.pk | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
National side | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Party Elections Gallery: Picture, Sound, Video |
Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi (Urdu: عمران احمد خان نیازی; born 5 October 1952)[9] is a Pakistani politician who is the 22nd[n 1] and current Prime Minister of Pakistan. He is the founder and chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Before entering politics, Khan was an international cricketer and philanthropist.
Khan was born to an upper-middle class Pashtun family in Lahore in 1952; he was educated at Aitchison College in Lahore, then the Royal Grammar School Worcester in Worcester, and later at Keble College, Oxford. He started playing cricket at age 13, and made his debut for the Pakistan national cricket team at age 18, during a 1971 Test series against England. After graduating from Oxford, he made his home debut for Pakistan in 1976, and played until 1992. He also served as the team's captain intermittently between 1982 and 1992,[15] notably leading Pakistan to victory at the 1992 Cricket World Cup, Pakistan's first and only victory in the competition.[16]
Khan retired from cricket in 1992, as one of Pakistan's most successful players. In total he made 3,807 runs and took 362 wickets in Test cricket, and is one of eight world cricketers to have achieved an 'All-rounder's Triple' in Test matches.[17] After retiring, he faced scandal after admitting to tampering with the ball with a bottle top in his youth.[18] In 2003, he became a coach in Pakistan's domestic cricket circuit,[19] and in 2010, he was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.
In 1991, he launched a fundraising campaign to set up a cancer hospital in memory of his mother. He raised $25 million to set up a hospital in Lahore in 1994, and set up a second hospital in Peshawar in 2015.[20] Khan remains a prominent philanthropist and commentator, having expanded the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital to also include a research centre, and founded Namal College in 2008.[21][22] Khan also served as the chancellor of the University of Bradford between 2005 and 2014, and was the recipient of an honorary fellowship by the Royal College of Physicians in 2012.[23][24]
In April 1996, Khan founded the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (lit: Pakistan Movement for Justice), a centrist political party, and became the party's national leader.[25] Khan contested for a seat in the National Assembly in October 2002 and served as an opposition member from Mianwali until 2007. He was again elected to the parliament in the 2013 elections, when his party emerged as the second largest in the country by popular vote.[26][27] Khan served as the parliamentary leader of the party and led the third-largest block of parliamentarians in the National Assembly from 2013 to 2018. His party also led a coalition government in the north-western province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.[28] In the 2018 general elections, his party won the largest number of seats and defeated the ruling PML-N, bringing Khan to premiership and the PTI into federal government for the first time.[29]
Khan remains a popular public figure and is the author of, among other publications, Pakistan: A Personal History.[30][31]
Khan was born in Lahore on 5 October 1952.[9] Some reports suggest he was born on 25 November 1952.[32][33][34][35] It was reported that 25 November was wrongly mentioned by Pakistan Cricket Board officials on his passport.[9] He is the only son of Ikramullah Khan Niazi, a civil engineer, and his wife Shaukat Khanum, and has four sisters.[36]Long settled in Mianwali in northwestern Punjab, his paternal family are of Pashtun ethnicity and belong to the Niazi tribe,[37][38] 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.'[39] Khan's mother hailed from the Pashtun tribe of Burki, which had produced several successful cricketers in Pakistan's history,[36] including his cousins Javed Burki and Majid Khan.[37] 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 the tribal areas of northwest Pakistan.[40] His maternal family was based in Basti Danishmanda, Jalandhar, British India for about 600 years.[41][42]
A quiet and shy boy in his youth, Khan grew up with his sisters in relatively affluent, upper middle-class circumstances[43] and received a privileged education. He was educated at the Aitchison College and Cathedral School in Lahore,[44][45] 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 with a third-class degree in 1975.[46]
Khan made his first-class cricket debut at the age of 16 in Lahore. By the start of the 1970s, he was playing for his home teams of Lahore A (1969–70), Lahore B (1969–70), Lahore Greens (1970–71) and, eventually, Lahore (1970–71).[47] Khan was part of the University of Oxford's Blues Cricket team during the 1973–1975 seasons.[46] At Worcestershire, where he played county cricket from 1971 to 1976, he was regarded as only an average medium-pace bowler. During this decade, other teams represented by Khan included Dawood Industries (1975–1976) and Pakistan International Airlines (1975–1976 to 1980–1981). From 1983 to 1988, he played for Sussex.[17]
Khan made his Test cricket debut against England in June 1971 at Edgbaston.[48] 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.[48] 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.[47] 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.[17] His credentials as one of the fastest bowlers of 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.[49] 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.[50]
As a fast bowler, Khan reached the peak of his prowess in 1982. In 9 Tests, he got 62 wickets at 13.29 each, the lowest average of any bowler in Test history with at least 50 wickets in a calendar year.[51] 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.[52]
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 is also established as having the second-highest all-time batting average of 61.86 for a Test batsman playing at position 6 of the batting order.[53] 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 World Cup final against England in Melbourne, Australia.[54] 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 runs. As a bowler, he took 362 wickets in Test cricket, which made him the first Pakistani and world's fourth bowler to do so.[17] In ODIs, he played 175 matches and scored 3709 runs at an average of 33.41. His highest score remains 102 not out. His best ODI bowling is documented at 6 wickets for 14 runs, a record for the best bowling figures by any bowler in an ODI innings in a losing cause.[55]
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.[56] 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.[17]
In the team's second match, Khan led them to their first Test win on English soil for 28 years at Lord's.[57] 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.[17] 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.[47] This same Test series against India, however, 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.[17]
In India in 1987, 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.[57] 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.[17] 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'.[37] He was declared Man of the Series against West Indies in 1988 when he took 23 wickets in 3 Tests.[17] 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.[47]
In 1994, Khan had admitted that, during Test matches, he 'occasionally scratched the side of the ball and lifted the seam.' He had also added, 'Only once did I use an object. When Sussex were 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.'[58] 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.[59] Khan won the libel case, which the judge labelled a 'complete exercise in futility', with a 10–2 majority decision by the jury.[59]
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 India's Outlook magazine,[60] the Guardian,[61] the Independent, and the Telegraph. Khan also sometimes appears as a cricket commentator on Asian and British sports networks, including BBC Urdu[62] and the Star TV network.[63] In 2004, when the Indian cricket team toured Pakistan after 14 years, he was a commentator on TEN Sports' special live show, Straight Drive,[64] while he was also a columnist for sify.com 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 World Cup.[65]He holds as a captain the world record for taking most wickets, best bowling strike rate and best bowling average in Test,[66][67]and best bowling figures (8 wickets for 60 runs) in a Test innings,[68]and also most five-wicket hauls (6) in a Test innings in wins.[69]
On 23 November 2005, Khan was appointed as the chancellor of University of Bradford, succeeding Baroness Lockwood.[70] 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.[71][72] Khan, however, announced that he will step down on 30 November 2014, citing his 'increasing political commitments'.[73] The university vice-chancellorBrian Cantor said Khan had been 'a wonderful role model for our students'.[74][75]
During the 1990s, Khan also served as UNICEF's Special Representative for Sports[76] and promoted health and immunisation programmes in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand.[77] While in London, he also works with the Lord's Taverners, a cricket charity.[20] 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 only cancer hospital, constructed using donations and funds exceeding $25 million, raised by Khan from all over the world.[20][78]
On 27 April 2008, Khan established a technical college in the Mianwali District called Namal College. It was built by the Mianwali Development Trust (MDT), and is an associate college of the University of Bradford in December 2005.[79][80] Imran Khan Foundation is another welfare work, which aims to assist needy people all over Pakistan. It has provided help to flood victims in Pakistan. Buksh Foundation has partnered with the Imran Khan Foundation to light up villages in Dera Ghazi Khan, Mianwali and Dera Ismail Khan under the project 'Lighting a Million Lives'. The campaign will establish several Solar Charging Stations in the selected off-grid villages and will provide villagers with solar lanterns, which can be regularly charged at the solar-charging stations.[81][82]
Basing his wider paradigm on the poet-philosopher Muhammad Iqbal and the Iranian writer-sociologist Ali Shariati he came across in his youth,[83] Khan is generally described as a nationalist[84] and a populist.[85] 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.[86][63][87][88]
Khan publicly demanded a Pakistani apology towards the Bangladeshi people for the atrocities committed in 1971,[89][90] He called the 1971 operation a 'blunder'[91] and likened it to today's treatment of Pashtuns in the war on terror.[90] However, he repeatedly criticised the war crimes trials in Bangladesh in favour of the convicts.[92] Khan is often mocked as 'Taliban Khan' because of his pacifist stance regarding the war in North-West Pakistan. He believes in negotiations with Taliban and the pull out of the Pakistan Army from Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). He is against US drone strikes and plans to disengage Pakistan from the US-led war on terror. Khan also opposes almost all military operations, including the Siege of Lal Masjid.[93][94]
In August 2012, the Pakistani Taliban issued death threats if he went ahead with his march to their tribal stronghold along the Afghan border to protest US drone attacks, because he calls himself a 'liberal' – a term they associate with a lack of religious belief.[95] On 1 October 2012, prior to his plan to address a rally in South Waziristan, senior commanders of Pakistani Taliban said after a meeting headed by the Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud that they now offered Khan security assistance for the rally because of Khan's opposition to drone attacks in Pakistan, reversing their previous stance.[96]
In 2014, when Pakistani Taliban announced armed struggle against Ismaili Muslims (denouncing them as non-Muslims)[97] and the Kalash people, Khan released a statement describing 'forced conversions as un-Islamic'.[98] He has also condemned the incidents of forced conversion of Hindu girls in Sindh.[99] Khan views the Kashmir issue as a humanitarian issue, as opposed to a territorial dispute between two countries (India and Pakistan). He also proposed secret talks to settle the issue as he thinks 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.[100]
On 8 January 2015, Khan visited the embassies of Iran and Saudi Arabia in Islamabad and met their head of commissions to understand their stances about the conflict which engulfed both nations after the execution of Sheikh Nimr by Saudi Arabia. He urged the Government of Pakistan to play a positive role to resolve the matter between both countries.[101] In April 2015, after parliament passed a unanimous resolution keeping Pakistan out of the War in Yemen, the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as part of opposition, took credit for the decision.[102] Khan might not be able to stick to his previous stance, as Saudi loans and investment are crucial amid the precarious state of Pakistan's economy.[103] In July 2018, the Saudi-based Islamic Development Bank activated its $4.5 billion oil financing facility for Pakistan.[104]
After the result of Pakistani general election, 2018, Imran Khan said he would try to remake Pakistan based on the ideology of Muhammad Ali Jinnah.[105]
Khan was offered political position few times during his cricketing career. In 1987, then-President Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq offered him a political position in Pakistan Muslim League (PML) which he declined.[106] He was also invited by Nawaz Sharif to join his political party.[106]
In late 1994, he joined a pressure group led by former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Hamid Gul and Muhammad Ali Durrani who was head of Pasban, a breakaway youth wing of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan. The same year, he also showed his interest in joining politics.[106]
On 25 April 1996, Khan founded a political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).[37][107] He ran for the seat of National Assembly of Pakistan in Pakistani general election, 1997 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).[108]
Khan supported General Pervez Musharraf's military coup in 1999,[109] believing Musharraf would 'end corruption, clear out the political mafias'.[110] According to Khan, he was Musharraf's choice for prime minister in 2002 but turned down the offer.[111] 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.[112] He was elected from Mianwali.[113] In the 2002 referendum, Khan supported military dictator General Musharraf, while all mainstream democratic parties declared that referendum as unconstitutional.[114] He has also served as a part of the Standing Committees on Kashmir and Public Accounts.[115] 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.[116] In June 2007, Khan faced political opponents in and outside the parliament.[117]
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.[27] 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.[118] He eventually came out of hiding on 14 November to join a student protest at the University of the Punjab.[119] At the rally, Khan was captured by student activists from the Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba and roughly treated.[120] 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.[121]
On 30 October 2011, Khan addressed more than 100,000 supporters in Lahore, challenging the policies of the government, calling that new change a 'tsunami' against the ruling parties,[122] Another successful public gathering of hundreds of thousands of supporters was held in Karachi on 25 December 2011.[123] Since then Khan became a real threat to the ruling parties and a future political prospect in Pakistan. According to a International Republican Institute's survey, Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf tops the list of popular parties in Pakistan both at the national and provincial level.[124][125]
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.[126][127] On 23 March 2013, Khan introduced the Naya Pakistan Resolution (New Pakistan) at the start of his election campaign.[128] On 29 April The Observer termed Khan and his party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf as the main opposition to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.[129] 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.[130] From 26 April 2013, in the run up to the elections, both the PML-N and the PTI started to criticise each other.[131]
On 21 April 2013, Khan launched his final public relations campaign for the 2013 elections from Lahore where he addressed thousands of supporters at the Mall.[132] Khan announced that he would pull Pakistan out of the US-led war on terror and bring peace to the Pashtun tribal belt.[133] 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 will have equal opportunities.[134] Khan ended his south Punjab campaign by addressing rallies in various Seraiki belt cities.[135]
Khan ended the campaign by addressing a rally of supporters in Islamabad via a video link while lying on a bed at a hospital in Lahore.[136] The last survey before the elections by The Herald showed 24.98 percent of voters nationally planned to vote for his party, just a whisker behind former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's PML-N.[137][138] 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.[139][140] Pakistan's 2013 elections were held on 11 May 2013 throughout the country. The elections resulted in a clear majority of Pakistan Muslim League (N).[141][142] Khan's PTI emerged as the second largest party by popular vote nationally including in Karachi.[143][144] Khan's party PTI won 30 directly elected parliamentary seats and became third largest party in National Assembly behind Pakistan People's Party, which was second.[145]
Khan led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf became the opposition party in Punjab and Sindh. Khan became the parliamentary leader of his party.[146][147] On 31 July 2013 Khan was issued a contempt of court notice for allegedly criticising the superior judiciary,[148] 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.[149] Khan's party swooped the militancy-hit northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), and formed the provincial government.[150][151] PTI-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government presented a balanced, tax-free budget for the fiscal year 2013–14.[152]
Khan believed that terrorist activities by Pakistani Taliban can be stopped through dialogue with them and even offered to open an office in KPK province. He accused the US of sabotaging peace efforts with the Pakistani Taliban by killing its leader Hakimullah Mehsud. He demanded government to block NATO supply line in retaliation for killing of the TTP leader.[153]
On 13 November 2013, Khan, being party leader, ordered Pervez Khattak to dismiss ministers of Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) who were allegedly involved in corruption. Bakht Baidar and Ibrar Hussan Kamoli of Qaumi Watan Party, ministers for Manpower & Industry and Forest & Environment respectively, were dismissed.[154] Khan ordered Chief Minister KPK to end the alliance with QWP. Chief Minister KPK also dismissed Minister for Communication and Works of PTI Yousuf Ayub Khan due to a fake degree.[155]
A year after elections, on 11 May 2014, Khan alleged that 2013 general elections were rigged in favour of the ruling PML (N).[156] 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.[157] On its way to the capital Khan's convoy was attacked by stones from PML (N) supporters in Gujranwala; however, there were no fatalities.[158] Khan was reported to be attacked with guns which forced him to travel in a bullet-proof vehicle.[159] On 15 August, Khan-led protesters entered the capital and a few days later marched into the high-security Red Zone; on 1 September 2014, 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.[160] Prior to the violence that resulted in deaths, Khan asked his followers to take law into their own hands.[161]
By September, Khan had entered into a de facto alliance with Canadian-Pakistani cleric Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri; both have aimed to mobilise their supporters for regime change.[162][163] Khan entered into an agreement with 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 finds a country-wide pattern of rigging proved, the prime minister would dissolve the national and provincial assemblies in terms of the articles 58(1) and 112(1) of the Constitution – thereby meaning that the premier would also appoint the caretaker setup in consultation with the leader of opposition and fresh elections would be held.[164] He also met Syed Mustafa Kamal, when he was in the opposition.
Imran Khan contested the general election from NA-35 (Bannu), NA-53 (Islamabad-II), NA-95 (Mianwali-I), NA-131 (Lahore-IX), and NA-243 (Karachi East-II).[165] According to early, official results, Khan led the poll, although his opposition, mainly PML-N, alleged large-scale vote rigging and administrative malpractices.[166][167][168] On 27 July, election officials declared that Khan's party had won 110 of the 269 seats,[29] giving PTI a plurality in the National Assembly.[169] 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 general elections who contested and won in all five constituencies, surpassing Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who contested in four but won in three constituencies in 1970.[170][171]
A number of opposition parties have alleged 'massive rigging' in Khan's favor amid allegations of military interference in the general elections.[172] 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.[173] The Election Commission, however, rejected allegations of rigging and Sharif and his PML-N later conceded victory to Khan, despite lingering 'reservations' regarding the result.[174][175] Two days after the 2018 general elections were held, the chief observer of the European UnionElection Observation Mission to Pakistan Michael Gahler confirmed that the overall situation of the general election was satisfactory.[176]
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 first Islamic state of Medina. He described that his future government will put poor and commoners of the country at 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 united Pakistan and would refrain from victimizing his political opponents. Everyone will be equal under law. He promised a simple and less costly government devoid of showy pompousness in which prime minister house will be converted into an educational institute and governor houses will be used for public benefit.[177]
On foreign policy, he aimed to learn from China and hoped to have better relations with Afghanistan, United States, and India. On Middle East, he said his government will strive to have a balanced relationship with Saudi Arabia and Iran.[177]
On 6 August 2018, PTI officially nominated him as the candidate for prime minister.[178] Delivering a speech during his nomination, he said that he will present himself for public accountability for an hour every week in which he will answer questions put forward by masses.[179]
After the election, Khan made some appointments and nominations for national and provincial level public office holders as the head of winning party. Asad Umar was designated finance minister in future government of Khan in the center.[180] Khan nominated Imran Ismail for Governor of Sindh,[181]Mahmood Khan as future Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,[182]Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar as Governor of Punjab, Asad Qaiser as Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan,[183] and Shah Farman as Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.[184] In Balochistan, his party decided to support Balochistan Awami Party which nominated Jam Kamal Khan for chief minister and former chief minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo for speaker.[185] His 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.[186]Abdul Razak Dawood was nominated to be the advisor to prime minister on economic affairs.[187]Qasim Khan Suri was nominated for deputy speaker of national assembly slot.[188]Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani and Mehmood Jan were nominated as speaker and deputy speaker of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly respectively.[189]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.[190] According to some sources, Buzdar was nominated as a makeshift arrangement because it will be easier to remove a lesser known individual when Shah Mehmood Qureshi is ready to become chief minister.[191]
On 17 August 2018, Khan secured 176 votes and became 22ndPrime Minister of Pakistan while his contender and leader of opposition Shehbaz Sharif received 96 votes.[192] He took oath of office on 18 August 2018.[193] Khan ordered top level reshuffling in the country's bureaucracy, including the appointment of Sikandar Sultan Raja as Railways Secretary, Rizwan Ahmed as Maritime Secretary and Sohail Mahmood as Foreign Secretary.[194][195] His first major appointment in the Pakistan Army was that of Lieutenant General Asim Munir to the key slot of Director-General of Inter-Services Intelligence.[196]
Khan announced his cabinet soon after taking oath, choosing to keep the Ministry of Interior to himself.[197] Most of his appointees were previously ministers during Musharraf era and some served in Pakistan Peoples Party government which followed Musharraf era.[198][199]
Khan has stated that despite the assassination of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Pakistan must prioritize good relations with Saudi Arabia due to an economic crisis. He also added that U.S. sanctions against Iran are affecting neighboring Pakistan, stating 'The last thing the Muslim World needs is another conflict. The Trump administration is moving towards that direction.'[200] Khan has prioritized close ties with China,[201] saying he 'did not know' much about concentration camps for China's Muslims.[202]
In 2012, Khan had net worth of ₨22.9 million (US$160,000) which decreased to ₨14 million (US$99,000) in the election year 2013 and then gradually increased to ₨33.3 million (US$240,000) in 2014. In 2015 Khan's assets were valued ₨1.33 billion (US$9.4 million). As of 2017, his net worth is ₨1.4 billion (US$9.9 million).[203]
Khan owns a 300 kanal mansion in Bani Gala, Islamabad worth ₨750 million (US$5.3 million). He has a house in Zaman Park, Lahore worth ₨29 million (US$210,000). Khan has also been an investor, investing more than ₨40 million (US$280,000) in various businesses. He is also owner of agriculture land of 39 kanals at Talhar, Islamabad, and 530 kanals at Khanewal.[204] Further, he also has a share in 363 kanals of agricultural land which he inherited.[204]
Other assets include furniture of ₨0.6 million (US$4,200) and livestock of ₨0.2 million (US$1,400). However he has no vehicle registered in his name.[205]
Khan owns a 300 kanal mansion in Bani Gala, Islamabad worth ₨750 million (US$5.3 million). Khan bought acres of land in Bani Gala on top of a hill and built a mansion on it.[206] The mansion is located within a gated enclosure and is accessible through a private driveway.[206] It is the permanent residence of Imran Khan.
In July 2017, Federal Board of Revenue Pakistan revealed the tax directory of Pakistani MP's. According to FBR, Khan paid ₨76,200 (US$540) of tax in 2015 and ₨1.59 lakh (US$1,100) in 2016.[207]
After the May 2013 elections, 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'.[208]Pankaj Mishra writing for The New York Times in 2012, charactised 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.'[209]
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.'[210] In 2011, While writing for The Washington Post, Richard Leiby termed Khan as an underdog adding that he 'often sounds like a pro-democracy liberal but is well-known for his coziness with conservative Islamist parties.'[211]Ayesha Siddiqa, in September 2014, writing for The Express Tribune, claimed 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.'[212]H. M. Naqvi termed Khan as a 'sort of a Ron Paul figure', adding that 'there is no taint of corruption and there is his anti-establishment message.'[211]
During the 1970s and 1980s, Khan was a popular sex symbol.[213][214] He became known as a socialite and sported a playboy image in the British press due to his 'non-stop partying' at London nightclubs such as Annabel's and Tramp, though he claims to have hated English pubs and never drank alcohol.[20][37][63][215] British heiress Sita White, daughter of Gordon White, Baron White of Hull, became the mother of his alleged lovechild daughter, Tyrian Jade White. A judge in the US ruled him to be the father of Tyrian,[216] but Khan has denied paternity publicly.[217][218] Later in 2007, Election Commission of Pakistan ruled in favour of Khan and dismissed the ex parte judgment of the US court, on grounds that it was neither admissible in evidence before any court or tribunal in Pakistan nor executable against him.[219] About his lifestyle as a bachelor, he has often said that, 'I never claim to have led an angelic life.'[37]
Declan Walsh in The Guardian newspaper in England 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.'[220] 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.'[56] Political commentator Najam Sethi, stated that, '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.'[56] Author Fatima Bhutto has criticised Khan for 'incredible coziness not with the military but with dictatorship' as well as some of his political decisions.[221]
During his cricketing days, Khan featured in many advertisements and television commercials as a celebrity brand endorser. These included Pepsi Pakistan, Brooke Bond,[222]Thums Up (along with Sunil Gavaskar),[223] and the Indian soap brand Cinthol, at a time when Bollywood legend Vinod Khanna was also endorsing the same product.[224] 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.'[224] 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.[225] 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;[226] 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.[227][228]
He had numerous relationships during his bachelor life.[2] He was then known as a hedonistic bachelor and a playboy who was active on the London nightclub circuit.[2][229][230] He had numerous girlfriends during his bachelor life.[1] Many are unknown and were called 'mysterious blondes' by British newspaper The Times.[1] Some of his out of marriage relationships included relationship with Zeenat Aman,[231] Emma Sergeant, Susie Murray-Philipson, Sita White, Sarah Crawley,[1]Stephanie Beacham, Goldie Hawn, Kristiane Backer, Susannah Constantine, Marie Helvin, Caroline Kellett,[232]Liza Campbell,[37] Anastasia Cooke, Hannah Mary Rothschild,[233]Jerry Hall, and Lulu Blacker.[234][235]
His first girlfriend, Emma Sergeant, an artist and the daughter of British investor Sir Patrick Sergeant, introduced him to socialites.[1] They first met in 1982 and subsequently visited Pakistan.[233] She accompanied him on various Pakistani cricket team tours including in Peshawar and Australian tour.[233] After long separations, his relationship with Sergeant was broken in 1986.[1] He then had a short relationship with Susie Murray-Philipson whom he invited to Pakistan and had dinner with in 1982.[1] She also made various artistic portraits of Khan during their relationship.[236][237]
In a book published in 2009, Christopher Sandford claimed that former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and Imran Khan had a close relationship when both were students in Oxford.[238] 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.[238] His mother also tried to have an arranged marriage between them.[238] He further claimed that they had a 'romantic relationship', which was refuted by Khan who said they were only friends.[238]
His most well known relationship was with heiress Sita White, daughter of British industrialist Gordon White, Baron White of Hull.[2][3] They remained in the relationship for about six years having met in 1987–88.[239] According to Sita White, Khan agreed for a child in a 1991 meeting. Tyrian Jade was born on 15 June 1992 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center but Khan, according to White's allegation, refused to accept her because she was a girl.[239] Khan had urged White to go for an abortion [239] Tyrian looked extraordinarily like Khan.[3][240] Later in 1997, Los Angeles court announced the verdict which was put by his former partner Sita White and her lawyer Gloria Allred that Imran Khan is the father of a five-year-old girl named Tyrian-Jade White.[241] His former wife Reham Khan alleged Khan told her that Tyrian was not the only child fathered by him out of wedlock, there were four others, some of them had Indian mothers and the oldest of his children is 34 years old.[242][243][244] In a later interview, Reham conceded that she did not know where these children were, who they were and whether Khan was only boasting about it, and said that she 'didn't even know if it is true also because you can never make out whether he tells the truth.'[245] In 2004, after Sita's death, Khan agreed to accept Tyrian as his child and welcomed her to join their house.[246]
On 16 May 1995, at the age of 43, Khan married 21-year-old Jemima Goldsmith,[229] 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. The couple have two sons, Sulaiman Isa and Kasim.[247]
Rumours circulated that the couple's marriage was in crisis. Goldsmith denied the rumours by publishing an advertisement in Pakistani newspapers.[248] 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'.[249]
In January 2015, it was announced that Khan married British-Pakistani journalist Reham Khan in a private Nikah ceremony at his residence in Islamabad.[250][251] However, 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, they announced their intention to file for divorce.[252]
In mid-2016, late 2017 and early 2018, reports emerged that Khan had married his spiritual mentor (murshid), Bushra Bibi. Khan,[253][254] PTI aides[255][256] and members of the Manika family[257][258] denied the rumour. Khan termed the media 'unethical' for spreading the rumour,[259] and PTI filed a complaint against the news channels that had aired it.[260] On 7 January 2018, however, the PTI central secretariat issued a statement that said Khan had proposed to Manika, but she had not yet accepted his proposal.[261] On 18 February 2018, PTI confirmed Khan has married Manika.[262][263] According to Khan, his life has been influenced by Sufism for three decades, and this is what drew him closer to his wife.[264]
Khan resides in his sprawling farmhouse at Bani Gala.[265] In November 2009, Khan underwent emergency surgery at Lahore's Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital to remove an obstruction in his small intestine.[266]
He owns five pet dogs, who reside on his estate.[267]
On 1 August 2017, Ayesha Gulalai came forward with allegations of harassment against Khan and claimed that she had been receiving offensive messages from him since October 2013.[268] In an interview, Khan said that he suspected that the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) had used Gulalai for the allegations of harassment against him.[269] Later, Ayesha Gulalai said that she will forgive Khan if he apologises.[270]
On 19 February 2019, Imran Khan gave a speech regarding the 2019 Pulwama attack in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir; he was criticised by the Indian media on not offering condolences to the Indian soldiers but was praised worldwide for his efforts in bringing the conflict to an end by releasing the captured Indian air pilot to India as a gesture of peace .[271]
Khan has published six works of non-fiction, including an autobiography co-written with Patrick Murphy. He periodically writes 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 leatherbound 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.'[272]
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief, who is poised to take over as Pakistan's 19th prime minister
.. Imran Khan, the legendary cricketer turned politician who is now slated to become Pakistan's 19th prime minister
Imran had, meanwhile, left Aitchison College, whose vaunted enthusiasm for sports seems not to have extended to sharing one of their own with a professional cricket team. He spent his sixth-form year at the nearby Cathedral School.
Sporting positions | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by Zaheer Abbas | Captain of the Pakistan National Cricket Team 1982–1983 | Succeeded by Sarfraz Nawaz |
Captain of the Pakistan National Cricket Team 1985–1987 | Succeeded by Abdul Qadir | |
Preceded by Abdul Qadir | Captain of the Pakistan National Cricket Team 1989–1992 | Succeeded by Javed Miandad |
Party political offices | ||
New office | Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf 1996–present | Incumbent |
Political offices | ||
Preceded by Nasirul Mulk (Caretaker) | Prime Minister of Pakistan 2018—present | Incumbent |
Academic offices | ||
Preceded by The Baroness Lockwood | Chancellor of the University of Bradford 2005–2014 | Succeeded by Kate Swann |