Imran Khan and Pakistan
Profiles in Leadership – Imran Khan of Pakistan
This Article has been produced by the efforts of the following members:
Ethan Gordon – Team Leader for the Afghanistan-Pakistan Region
Imran Khan is the cricket star turned opposition politician who has led his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party to a steady rise as a centrist and communitarian alternative to the status quo of Pakistan politics. Khan was born Imran Khan Niazi on November 25th, 1952 in Lahore, and first represented his country in the sport of cricket in 1971.[1] He quickly ascended the ranks of the sport, becoming the captain of the national team and leading Pakistan to the Cricket World Cup in his final year in 1992.[2] After his retirement form the sport, Khan moved to philanthropy, becoming involved with UNICEF, his own foundation, and establishing a technical college in Mianwali. In 1996 Khan founded the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party or PTI.
The party itself is egalitarian in nature and advocates for modern approaches to the Islamic democratic welfare state, with Khan himself stating that this was the original plan for the creation of Pakistan.[3] The PTI party began as a small ineffective group, but has quickly gained over 10 million members in Pakistan and has established itself as the fastest growing political party in the country.[4] PTI won 35 seats in the National Assembly, making it the third largest national party, but was second in elections in Punjab and Karachi, as well as winning the most seats and forming a government in the Khyber Pakhunkwa provincial assembly.[5]
With his heightened status as a National Leader, Khan has led mass protests against Nawaz Sharif’s ascension to power, accusing him and his Pakistani Muslim League of Election Fraud.[6] If Khan can continue his meteoric rise to power, he could represent a new generation of Pakistani leader who would demand greater transparency from the government.
