Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari, the London-based spokesperson for Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, confirmed to AFP that Khan had instructed his team to submit the application.
“Imran Khan had given instructions that he would like to submit his application and now the application scrutiny will take place,” Bukhari said.
“It’s a ceremonial post but one with utmost prestige and importance and Imran Khan, being one of the larger or more popular names coming out of Oxford, it would be brilliant to see him as chancellor,” he added.
Candidate list to be announced in October
According to Oxford university’s website, the list of candidates for the 10-year term of chancellor will be made public in October, with voting scheduled for the end of the month.
Other prominent applicants include former foreign secretary William Hague and former EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson, according to British media.
In February, Chris Patten, the last British governor of Hong Kong had announced his decision to step down as Oxford’s chancellor.
‘First of Asian descent’
“If he becomes chancellor, he would be the first of Asian descent,” Bukhari said. He also mentioned that it would be a significant achievement not just for Pakistan, but for all of Asia and the world.
Khan’s Oxford ties
Imran Khan graduated from Oxford in 1975 with a degree in philosophy, politics, and economics. He had frequently appeared in British gossip magazines during his cricket career.
Khan had served as prime minister of Pakistan from 2018 to 2022. He recently marked one year in prison in charges ranging from corruption to inciting violence. He has claimed that these charges are politically motivated to prevent him from returning to power.