Imran Khan: From World Cup Winning Cricketer to Prime Minister-Designate of Pakistan
Imran Khan, in his first media address after the initial polling result trends, thanked the people of Pakistan for showing the faith in him. Whether Pakistan will thank him with the same enthusiasm and assurance, only time will tell.
Islamabad, July 26: Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) is leading on 51 seats even as the counting of votes are underway, a day after Pakistan voted for a new parliament. The cricketer-turned-politician, and former World Cup winning captain, looks all set to claim the top post in his country. The celebrated cricketer, who swapped his unforgettable image in coloured jersey holding the 1992 World Cup trophy for a Salwar Kameez clad politician, is now in the reckoning for the post of Prime Minister in Pakistan and may play a crucial role in shaping Pakistan. So who really is Imran Khan, other than the celebrated cricketer and the sex symbol that he once was. Let us have a look at the various facets of his life through some of the most important phases of the cricketer's career:
Imran Khan- The Cricketer Turned Legend
The 65-year-old Imran Khan, was born in a privilege and an affluent family, which had its roots in the Pashtun family, in the cultural city of Lahore.
He went to Lahore's famous and elite all-boys Aitchison College and graduated from Oxford University in the year 1975. He earned a Bachelor's degree in PPE (Philosophy, Politics, Economics) from the prestigious university.
Khan started playing cricket as a 13-year-old and played for the Aitchison college before going to represent the Worcestershire Cricket Club. He was drafted into the Pakistan Cricket team at the age of 18 during the 1971 English series at Birmingham. Imran Khan joined the Pakistan national cricket team after completing his graduation from Oxford University in 1976 and played until 1992. His proudest moment came as the captain of the 1992 World Cup winning Pakistan team. Watch his 1992 World Cup victory speech below:
Imran Khan- Troubled Personal Life
It has not always been sunshine for Pakistan's likely new Prime Minister. Imran Khan has had to deal with personal issues, most of them arising due to failed relationships with his marriage partners. And if reports are to be believed, he was at fault too. However, the one relation that had the biggest impact on Imran, was the one he had with his mother.
After losing her due to cancer, at an young age, Imran resolved that he would build a Cancer hospital in memory of his mother, the result of which is the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (SKMCH&RC). Imran Khan himself described the cancer hospital project as his "biggest obsession" in life in the 1992 World Cup victory speech.
Imran Khan has been married thrice. But his most talked about marriage has been to Jemima Khan. The couple had become a darling of the tabloid media both while they were together and even after their split. His split with former wife Reham Khan has been messy too, after Reham revealed not so great details about him in her recent book on Imran Khan.
Imran Khan- The Politician and the to be Prime Minister
Not the one to stop at just one milestone and reportedly disillusioned with Pakistan's policies, Imran Khan entered politics in the year 1996, and founded the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) promising justice to all.
Khan contested from Mianwali, his paternal ancestral hometown in Punjab, and won his first seat in the National assembly. Imran Khan and his party boycotted the 2008 General Elections in Pakistan in what was described by him as a stance against state corruption.
However, it was the 2013 General Elections, in which Imran Khan and his PTI showed substance. Though the PTI could win only 27 seats in the 2013 elections, it won the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The 2018 Pakistan General Elections have proven to be the watershed year in PTI chairman's political life and Pakistan's political history as well. His party is leading on 69 seats with the Shahbaz Sharif led PML-N a distant second with 32 seats. Imran Khan, in his first media address after the initial polling result trends, thanked the people of Pakistan for showing the faith in him. Read the highlights of his speech here. Whether Pakistan will thank him with the same enthusiasm and assurance, only time will tell.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 26, 2018 08:18 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).