Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi was born to an upper middle class Pashtun family in Lahore, Pakistan in 1952. Mr Khan enrolled in the prestigious Philosophy, Politics, and Economic course at Oxford University, which was also studied by David Cameron, Tony Abbott and his compatriot, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. The Oxford graduated Khan started his cricketing career at the age of 13 and finally made to the national team of Pakistan in 1971. He remained one of the leading players and country’s biggest sport star in 70s and 80s. Khan retired from cricket after Pakistan won its first and only ICC cricket world cup in 1992 at Melbourne against England.

Unlike most of the retiring sportsmen Khan had another plan, he started his philanthropy work and founded Pakistan’s first ever state of the art cancer hospital and named it after his mother Shoukhat Khanam who died of cancer. In 1996, Princess Diana visited Pakistan to help him raise funds for this hospital along with many international celebrities who have always revered Mr Khan for his untiring work for humanity. Imran used his international profile in cricket to support health and immunisation programmes in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand. He also established a technical college for poor students in a remote area of Punjab. Namal college that will be upgraded to an education city-Khan’s life-long dream. Khan also established “Imran Khan foundation” for helping needy and underprivileged class and victims of natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes. Due to his remarkable work for education and humanity and quintessential leadership skills Bradford University honoured him as a Vice Chancellor between 2005-2014.

Imran khan always remained in the limelight as one of the icon of the glamorous world. Millions of women in Indian sub-continent and even in the West craved for the glimpse of Khan until 1995 when he got married with Jemima Goldsmith daughter of an English business tycoon and politician Sir James Goldsmith. On 22 June 2004, couple announced the divorced ending the nine-year marriage because it was difficult for Jemima to adapt to the political life of Imran Khan in Pakistan. The marriage ended amicably and Khan have been regularly visiting his sons who live with their mother in UK. Khan got married in 2015 with a Pakistani British woman and BBC weather reporter Reham Khan. This marriage ended within 10 months for unknown reasons though some blame Reham of being ambitious and unnecessary involvement in political matters of the party. Early this year Khan announced his 3rd marriage with a Pakistani woman Bushra.

Khan has been loved and honoured by several international figures including Nelson Mandela who invited him and his ex-wife Jemima to Genadendal residence in 1997.  In 2013 Mr Khan was invited at a royal ball hosted by Prince Charles and his wife Camilla in support of charity, the Elephant Family. Microsoft billionaire and philanthropist Bill Gates has lauding Khan’s efforts for polio eradication in Pakistan and expressing interest in his initiative to use mapping technology as part of the eradication campaign. “I am encouraged by your personal commitment to eliminate this disease in Pakistan. Your strong leadership comes at a critical time in our global efforts,” he said in the letter.
Khan’s rivalry with the Pakistani establishment or fraction of it started on american-lead war on terror. Khan remained staunch opponent of Pakistani military operations and american drone strikes in FATA that has killed thousands of unarmed civilians including kids and women. In 2012 Khan lead a peace march along with thousands of his party workers, journalists and international human right organizations to war-torned area along the Afghan border. Khan’s idea of peace talk with various fractions of Taliban and isolation of terrorists from fundamentalists and those fighting against foreign occupation was rejected by both Pakistani and Western power corridors. He was gravely criticized and labeled as “Taliban Khan” by the western media. Today, after decade of war and destruction American and their allies are acknowledging Taliban’s role in future political settlement of Afghanistan-vindicating Khan’s consistent peace talk mantra. Imran khan had remained very vocal for political solution of all disputes with neighbouring countries including Kashmir issue. During his victory speech after July 25th election he emphasized on the significance of peace talk with India. As a goodwill gesture, he invited few of his old cricketing rivals though only Njvet Singh Sidhu attended his official swearing-in ceremony in Islamabad.

Khan’s political opponents blame him of being supported by Pakistani army. Irrespective of military backing, his party struggled for 22 years and got genuine support of middle class Pakistanis, most of them aged 18-35. Pakistan has suffered due to vested institutional and personal interests of ruling elite and dynastic politics. Imran Khan spent years in London, he is particularly fascinated by the Western standards of rule of law and social justice system. “In the west especially in Scandinavia even animal have their rights, governments invest on human development, education, health and ensure social justice” he said in a political gathering in Lahore. His anti-corruption movement has been building while the key state institutions collapsed due to corruption, nepotism and violation of merit. After coming in power in KP province in 2013 Khan’s PTI has brought significant reforms in education, health, police and justice system along with initiative for environmental protection and the conservation of forests and water. Now he pledged to empower youth through education and eradication of corruption, inflation and poverty. “A country cannot prosper where there is sea of poor people and small islands of rich” he said in his inaugural speech after historic win on July 25th.