LONDON: Almost 200 alumni, staff members, and current students from Oxford University have petitioned the Chancellor’s Selection Committee to allow former Prime Minister Imran Khan to run for election later this month.
The university confirmed to Geo News that it has received the petition, organized by Zulfi Bukhari, Khan’s adviser on international affairs, who has led a media campaign in support of the jailed founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.
The petition, signed by 176 alumni and students, asserts that Khan is a suitable candidate for the chancellor position. This initiative follows a campaign by Khurram Butt, chairman of the Youth Coordination Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) UK, who distributed leaflets and submitted a counter-petition claiming Khan is “unfit” for the role.
The petition states: “We, the undersigned members of the University of Oxford’s student and faculty community, along with its global alumni network, welcome Imran Khan’s candidacy for the esteemed position of Chancellor. Khan, a notable alumnus from the Global South, embodies the values for which Oxford is revered. His lifelong commitment to public service has inspired countless Oxford students.”
It highlights Khan’s achievements, including his success as a cricketer, winning the Cricket World Cup in 1992, and founding the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital, which provides free treatment to over 70% of its patients. Khan also established Namal University to enhance access to higher education in rural areas, served as chancellor of the University of Bradford for nine years, and implemented the Ehsaas program to combat poverty in Pakistan. Additionally, he initiated the Billion Tree Tsunami project, which successfully planted over a billion trees to address climate change.
The petition emphasizes that Khan’s candidacy represents a source of pride for Oxford and an opportunity to showcase its commitment to diversity and social impact.
The petitioners assert that claims questioning Khan’s eligibility due to his imprisonment are unfounded, noting that he is neither sentenced nor convicted and is currently on remand. The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has declared his incarceration illegal. They call on the Election Committee to ensure that all eligible candidates, including Khan, have the opportunity to participate in the election, thereby upholding the democratic process.
Zulfi Bukhari remarked, “The fact that nearly 200 students have signed the petition speaks to Imran Khan’s credibility. He has garnered more local and international attention in two months than any other leader in Oxford’s history or in the UK press. This is a chance for Oxford to accept Khan’s candidacy and allow him to run for Chancellor.”
