How Imran Khan became the man who divided Pakistan

Hannah Ellis-Petersen


Explainer

How Imran Khan became the man who divided Pakistan

From cricket star to ousted PM, Khan is an anti-establishment rebel to some and a corrupt force for destruction to others

Hannah Ellis-Petersen 

Imran Khan is often regarded as the most divisive man in Pakistan. For some, the former superstar cricketer turned prime minister, who was toppled from power last April and arrested in a corruption case on Tuesday, is the anti-establishment saviour that Pakistan has long been waiting for.

Yet for others, his alleged corruption, economic ineptitude and “scorched earth” political tactics since he was removed from office are the reason Pakistan is facing an unprecedented political, economic and constitutional crisis that is tearing the country apart.

Khan first shot to fame in Pakistan as the Oxford-educated heart-throb who brought World Cup cricketing glory to the country in 1992. He married into British aristocracy, tying the knot with journalist Jemima Goldsmith in 1995, but soon began to make his political ambitions known back home…..

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/09/how-imran-khan-became-the-man-who-divided-pakistan