Imran Khan was removed from the prime minister’s office in Pakistan after a no-confidence motion against him succeeded in the parliament on Saturday.
The cricketer-turned-politician took charge as the country’s 19th prime minister in August 2018. His center-right Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party promised a “Naya,” or new Pakistan, assuring his supporters to fight corruption, bolster the crippling economy and pursue an independent foreign policy.
But, critics say, he failed to keep his promises, and the opposition gained momentum to bring down his government.
Still, many see him as a savior of the common man in the roles of a cricketer, philanthropist and a politician.
Born in 1952 in the northeastern city of Lahore, he won the only ODI cricket World Cup for Pakistan in 1992, which helped him emerge as hero of the young generation of Pakistan.
Cricket life
Khan grew up in an upper-middle class family in Zaman Park area of Lahore and is one of the few Pakistani politicians who has an impressive educational background in addition to his top-notch cricket career.
When he started first class cricket at the age of 16, he was still a student at the prestigious Aitchison College, the alma matter of several top bureaucrats and politicians.
When he turned 18, he was sent to the Royal Grammar School High Wycombe, England and later to the Oxford University to study political science, philosophy and economics.
During his stay in England, he began playing county cricket, apart from representing Pakistan in international cricket.
He starred in five World Cups in 1975, 1979, 1983, 1987 and 1992.
Philanthropy
After retirement from cricket in 1992, he dedicated his life to philanthropy.
Khan set out on a journey to collect donations to establish the country’s first state-of-the-art cancer hospital named after his mother, Shaukat Khanum, who had died of cancer in Lahore.
He also established the Namal Institute, a private academic institution in his home constituency Mianwali, in 2008, with the support of the local community and generous donors.
Political career
Four years after receiving a warm welcome across the country on arrival after the winning of cricket World Cup in 1992, Khan joined politics.
He founded the PTI in 1996, but it was not until 2011 that his message resonated with the public. He held a mammoth public rally in Lahore that stunned political commentators and rang alarm bells for the opposition.
In the 2013 elections, Khan appeared to have an impressive appeal to the youth, which make up around 60% of the country’s total population.
He gave a tough time to two mainstream political parties – Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan People’s Party – which had taken turns to rule the country before he rose to power.
His party emerged as the largest party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and formed a coalition government in the province along with Jamaat-e-Islami in 2013.
In the July 2018 elections, his party won the most seats, and formed governments in the center, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces.
Personal life
Khan married thrice, out of which two ended with a divorce.
He first married English socialite Jemima Goldsmith in 1995, who bore him two sons – Sulaiman Khan and Qasim Khan. They divorced in 2004.
Eleven years later he married news anchor Reham Khan in a union which could only last ten months.
Khan tilted towards Sufism in recent years, with frequent visits to shrines and faith healers to seek blessings for his political journey.
Source: Anadolu Agency