Pakistan's Newly Elected Prime Minister Imran Khan

Pakistan's Newly Elected Prime Minister Imran Khan

Pakistan's lower house (National Assembly) lawmakers on Friday elected Imran Khan, the leader of the centrist Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, as the country's 22nd prime minister.

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th August, 2018) Pakistan's lower house (National Assembly) lawmakers on Friday elected Imran Khan, the leader of the centrist Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, as the country's 22nd prime minister.

Imran Khan (full name Imran Ahmad Khan Niazi) was born on November 25, 1952, into a Pashtun family in the Pakistani city of Mianwali in the Punjab province.

Khan was educated at the Royal Grammar school in Worcester (the United Kingdom) and at Aitchison College and the Cathedral School in Lahore (Pakistan). In 1976, he graduated from the University of Oxford (the United Kingdom) obtaining the Bachelors degree in Economics.

In his teens, Khan started playing cricket and was part of the University of Oxfords cricket team.

From 1971 to 1992, Khan played for Pakistans national cricket team. From 1982 to 1992, he was the teams captain. In 1992, Khan retired securing a reputation as one of the greatest cricket players in history.

After 1992, Khan was engaged in charity work. Khan was one of the Primary fund-raisers for the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital named after his mother, who had died of cancer in 1985. The hospital was opened in 1994.

In 1996, Khan established the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf political party. In 1997, it took part in the national elections but failed to win any seats in the National Assembly.

In the 2002 elections, the PTI won a single seat in the lower house, which was filled by Khan.

In 2007, Khan protested the candidacy of then-President Pervez Musharraf in the upcoming presidential election. In November the same year, Khan was temporarily imprisoned over criticizing Musharraf who had declared a state of emergency in the country.

The PTI boycotted the 2008 national elections protesting Musharrafs presidency.

Following the 2013 parliamentary election, the PTI won 27 seats in the National Assembly.

In late July, 2018, the PTI won the parliamentary election, receiving 116 out of the 272 directly elected seats in the lower chamber. However, as the party did not reach a simple majority necessary to independently form the government, it engaged in negotiations on the formation of a ruling coalition. The party managed to form the coalition securing the support of at least 175 out of 342 lawmakers.

According to Khan, one of his priorities will be to support poor people, farmers, as well as to develop medicine and education. He also stands for boosting cooperation between Pakistan and its neighbors, particularly with China, as well as for reviving dialogue with its major geopolitical foe India.

Khan is author of several writings such as Warrior Race: A Journey Through the Land of the Tribal Pathans (1993) and Pakistan: A Personal History (2011).