Imran Khan Niazi, born in 1952, in Lahore, Pakistan into a well-off Pashtun family to Ikramullah Khan Niazi and Shaukat Khanam, graduated in philosophy, politics and economics from Keble College, University of Oxford. Hailing from a cricketing family, he played the game as a teenager in Pakistan and continued in England.
Khan was schooled at Lahore’s elite all-boys Aitchison College before graduating from Oxford University in 1975 with a Bachelor’s degree in philosophy, politics and economics.
At the age of 18, Khan made his international debut for Pakistan’s national cricket team and soon gained a reputation as a playboy with his well-publicised social life, residing in the British capital, London.
Oxford-educated Khan had an illustrious career in international cricket spanning two decades from the 1970s. His pin-up looks and private life have ensured he’s been a favourite of the world’s media for decades.
He developed a reputation as something of a playboy on the London nightclub circuit, though he denies that he ever drank alcohol or engaged in any activities that may be considered inappropriate for a conservative Pakistani Muslim.
As the captain of the national cricket team, the legendary all-rounder famously led the country to its first and only victory at the 1992 World Cup defeating England, thereby being termed as the most successful and prominent cricket captain of Pakistan.
This champion cricketer surprised the world as an exceptional fast bowler and a great all-rounder, making the game of cricket more popular in his country. Immediately afterwards, he retired from cricket in 1992 and entered politics by forming his own party – Pakistan Tehreek-e- Insaf (Movement for Justice).
He retired from cricket in 1992 and entered politics by forming his own party – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (Movement for Justice.
As a politician, Imran Khan’s views have often shifted or been vague. Many accuse him of U-turns. What he will actually do in power is largely unclear
In 1995, at the age of 43, he married the 21-year-old British heiress, Jemima Goldsmith – the daughter of one of the world’s richest men at the time, Sir James Goldsmith. The marriage produced two boys but was dissolved in 2004. The split was amicable, and Khan appears to have maintained a friendly relationship with his ex-wife.
A second marriage in 2015, to BBC journalist Reham Khan, lasted less than a year. He wed again in 2018 in a low-profile ceremony in Lahore. His third wife Bushra Watto, a mother of five, was described as his spiritual adviser, and observers say the match plays well with his public shows of devotion to Islam.
In the meantime, Khan launched Pakistan’s first specialised cancer centre, Shaukat Khanum, named after his late mother who succumbed to the disease, and in 2008, he also established a private technical college in Punjab’s rural Mianwali district, called Namal College.
As a politician, Imran Khan’s views have often shifted or been vague. Many accuse him of U-turns. What he will actually do in power is largely unclear.
He upholds liberalism but at the same time appeals to Islamic values and anti-West sentiment, especially when it comes to perceived interference in Pakistan’s internal affairs.