Imran Khan’s journey from cricket to politics

Imran Khan Niazi was born in 1952. Prior to entering the political arena, Khan was a world-famous cricketer, who led Pakistan to a World Cup win in 1992. Twenty-six years later, he had led his political party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), to victory in the 2018 national election.

Khan’s PTI has been struggling to gain a foothold in the politics of the country since 1996. But it wasn’t until 2002 that he won his first national assembly seat from his native town of Mianwali, Punjab. Although, he resigned in 2007 in protest over election being conducted under Gen. Pervez Musharraf. The following polls were boycotted by his political party. Finally, a 100,000-strong rally in Lahore, in October 2011, signalled the first indication that Khan was serious competition for other political parties.

In 2013, the PTI pushed its status ahead and became the third largest party in the centre, but got its largest seat count in the north-western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Nevertheless, Khan was determined to take forward his anti-corruption drive against his arch political rival, Nawaz Sharif. His chance arrived in 2015 in the form of the Panama Papers leak. The 66-year-old’s untiring pursuit of the case against Sharif and his family eventually led to the Pakistan Muslim League-N supremo's disqualification as the country's premier.

On July 25, the PTI won majority of seats in the national assembly and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is also likely to secure a majority in the Punjab province, formerly a stronghold of Sharif.

Khan’s party has nominated him as its candidate for prime minister. With enough lawmakers in the house, and with the support of five other political parties, he is expected to win the vote today and be named the next Prime Minister of Pakistan.