Imran Khan

Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi (born 1952) is a Pakistani politician, philanthropist, and former international cricket captain who led Pakistan to its 1992 Cricket World Cup victory before entering politics. He founded Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), or "Movement for Justice," in 1996, building it over two decades into one of Pakistan's three major political parties alongside the PML-N and PPP.

Khan served as Prime Minister from August 2018 until April 2022, when he was removed through a parliamentary vote of no confidence — the first Pakistani prime minister to be ousted in this manner. His government's signature priorities included an anti-corruption agenda, the Ehsaas social protection programme, the Billion Tree Tsunami reforestation initiative, and a foreign policy that sought to balance ties with China, the Gulf states, and the United States while frequently criticising Western policy in the Muslim world. Relations with Pakistan's powerful military establishment, initially seen as supportive of his rise, deteriorated sharply in his final months in office.

After his removal, Khan led large public rallies alleging a US-backed conspiracy against his government — a claim Washington denied. In November 2022 he survived a shooting at a political march in Wazirabad. He was arrested in May 2023, briefly released, then re-arrested in August 2023 following a conviction in the Toshakhana case involving undeclared state gifts. Subsequent convictions on charges including leaking state secrets (the "cipher" case) and an un-Islamic marriage case followed in early 2024, though several were later overturned or suspended on appeal. Despite his imprisonment, PTI-backed independent candidates won the largest bloc of seats in the February 2024 general election, though a coalition led by the PML-N formed government instead.

Khan remains a polarising figure: supporters view him as a reformist challenging entrenched elites, while critics cite economic mismanagement, confrontational politics, and strained civil-military relations during his tenure.