ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister Imran Khan has decided to run for the post of Chancellor of the University of Oxford from prison, according to one of his close aides, Zulfi Bukhari, who confirmed on Saturday that the ex-premier had asked him to initiate the application process.
Since his ouster from power in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in April 2022, Khan has become entangled in a slew of legal cases, a frequent hazard for opposition figures in Pakistan.
He has been in jail for over a year, though all the convictions handed down to him ahead of the February 8 parliamentary election have either been suspended or overturned. However, he remains incarcerated on new charges.
While Khan could not contest the national polls due to the legal cases against him — which he claims are motivated to keep him out of politics — a British newspaper, The Telegraph, reported in July that he wanted to run for the position of Chancellor at the University of Oxford.
“I will confirm shortly when the procedure has been completed and submitted,” Bukhari said in a brief message circulated among the media while sharing the news.
The Chancellor of Oxford University is elected by the members of Convocation, which includes all alumni of the university who have been admitted to a degree. To be eligible to run for the position, a candidate must be nominated by at least two members of Convocation.
The election process is generally open to distinguished individuals who have made significant contributions to public life, academia or other fields.
The chancellor’s role is largely ceremonial, but it is a prestigious position within the university.
Convocation will be asked to elect the new Chancellor online in the third week of Michaelmas term, starting on October 28.
Khan studied at Oxford, where he completed his degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics in 1975.
His decision to run for the position at the prestigious British university is expected to bring international attention to his incarceration in Pakistan.
Imran Khan to run for Oxford chancellor from prison amid legal battles, confirms aide
https://arab.news/6d385
Imran Khan to run for Oxford chancellor from prison amid legal battles, confirms aide
- The ex-PM studied at Oxford, completing his degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics in 1975
- His decision to run for the post is likely to get international attention to his incarceration in Pakistan
At ECO meeting, Pakistan proposes ‘Regional Innovation Hub’ to curb natural disasters
- Pakistan hosts high-level 10th ECO Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Risk Reduction in Islamabad
- Innovation hub to focus on early warning technologies, risk informed infrastructure planning
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has proposed to set up a “Regional Innovation Hub on Disaster Risk Reduction” that focuses on early warning technologies and risk informed infrastructure planning, the Press Information Department (PID) said on Wednesday, as Islamabad hosts a high-level meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO).
The ECO’s 10th Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) is being held from Jan. 21-22 at the headquarters of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in Pakistan’s capital.
The high-level regional forum brings together ministers, and senior officials from ECO member states, representatives of the ECO Secretariat and regional and international partner organizations. The event is aimed to strengthen collective efforts toward enhancing disaster resilience across the ECO region, the PID said.
“Key agenda items include regional cooperation on early warning systems, disaster risk information management, landslide hazard zoning, inclusive disaster preparedness initiatives, and Pakistan’s proposal to establish a Regional Innovation Hub on Disaster Risk Reduction, focusing on early warning technologies, satellite data utilization, and risk-informed infrastructure planning,” the statement said.
The meeting was attended by delegations from ECO member states including Pakistan, Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Representatives of regional and international organizations and development partners were also in attendance.
Discussions focused on enhancing regional coordination, harmonizing disaster risk reduction frameworks, and strengthening collective preparedness against transboundary and climate-induced hazards impacting the ECO region, the PID said.
ECO members states such as Pakistan, Türkiye, Afghanistan and others have faced natural calamities such as floods and earthquakes in recent years that have killed tens of thousands of people.
Heavy rains triggered catastrophic floods in Pakistan in 2022 and 2025 that killed thousands of people and caused damages to critical infrastructure, inflicting losses worth billions of dollars.
Islamabad has since then called on regional countries to join hands to cooperate to avert future climate disasters and promote early warning systems to avoid calamities in future.
