ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan has submitted an application form to run for the post of chancellor of the University of Oxford from prison, one of his close aides Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari confirmed on Sunday. 

Khan, who ruled the country as its prime minister from 2018 to 2022, has been in jail since August 2023 after becoming entangled in a slew of legal cases, a frequent hazard for opposition figures in Pakistan.

Though all convictions handed down to the former prime minister ahead of the February 8 parliamentary election have either been suspended or overturned, Khan remains incarcerated on new charges.

Bukhari confirmed on Saturday that the former premier intends to contest elections for the chancellor of the University of Oxford. 

“As per Imran Khan’s instructions, his application form to Oxford University Chancellor Election 2024 has been submitted,” Bukhari wrote on social media platform X. 

“We look forward to everyone’s support for a historic campaign.”

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.