Who is Imran Khan?

Imran Khan, who was arrested on corruption charges on Tuesday, was elected Prime Minister of Pakistan in 2018 when he ran as a nationalist and pledged to fight corruption, revive the country’s struggling economy and promote an independent foreign policy. that removed Pakistan from the United States.

His arrest significantly escalated the political crisis in the country, raising the prospect of mass unrest among his supporters.

What is his background?

Mr Khan, 70, was born into a wealthy family in Lahore and attended Oxford University. He first achieved international fame in the late 1970s on the cricket field. In 1995, he married a British heiress, Jemima Goldsmith.

A year later, Mr. Khan to derive his popularity from cricket – he had led Pakistan in 1992 to his only victory at the World Cup – in a political career, founding his own party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or the Movement for Justice. As a politician, he portrayed himself as a reformer who offered an alternative to Pakistan’s entrenched political dynasties.

How did he come to power?

For more than ten years, Mr. Khan to gain political influence and was mocked for his ambitions. In 2011, he started to gain political momentum, drawing hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis to his rallies. Many were energized by his populist, anti-corruption and anti-American message.

By then, Mr. Khan had embraced a devout form of Islam and was trying to change his personal image. In 2018, Mr. Khan married his spiritual advisor, Bushra Bibi, for the third time. (His marriage to Ms Goldsmith had ended in divorce and he was briefly married to a journalist, Reham Khan, in 2015.)

After winning the support of military leaders, Mr. Khan in 2018 prime minister. Many of his rivals accused the military of rigging the election in his favor — a charge both Mr. Khan as the army have denied. He ushered in a new foreign policy away from the United States and closer to Russia and China.

Why was he arrested?

Mr Khan’s relatively stable tenure began to wane in 2021, as dissatisfaction with his handling of the economy came to a head and a dispute with the military over his leadership appeared to cost him his support. He was removed from office in April last year by a parliamentary vote of no confidence.

Tensions escalated further in November when he was wounded at a political rally after a man opened fire on his convoy. Aides called it an assassination attempt.

Since his resignation from office, Mr. Khan faces a series of charges, including terrorism and corruption, and has been repeatedly threatened with arrest after failing to appear in court. He has also openly challenged the government and military, accusing them of plotting against him.

Mr Khan was arrested on Tuesday on corruption charges in connection with a land transfer case for Al-Qadir University, near Islamabad. Mr Khan is accused of doing favors to Malik Riaz Hussain, a real estate magnate, with the university receiving land and donations in return.