Imran Khan's Journey from his Childhood and Family

This story begins in October 1952 five years after Pakistan's inception Imran khan was born to an upper middle class family in Lahore the exact date of his birth remains a mystery his father was Ikram ullah niazi an ethnic Pashtun from the niazi tribe during the British raj he pushed for independence his friends described him as fiercely anti-colonial post-independence he took up a job at Pakistan's public works department and used his wealth to set up many charities across the country Imran khan's mother was shocked hanum an ethnic Pashtun from the burki tribe she was born in India's Jalandhar district to a family of proficient cricketers she later migrated to Lahore Imran khan was their only son with four sisters rubina khanum a former official at the united nations Ali Mahanum an entrepreneur a philanthropist Imran khan grew up with the sisters in a relatively affluent and secure environment his story is not one of rags to riches but of privilege and opportunity he spent the first 17 years of his life in Lahore's prestigious Atchison college an all-boys school founded by the British in 1868. he then went to the royal grammar school in England's Worcester and finally the cable college at the university of oxford where he studied philosophy politics and economics interestingly Benazir Bhutto another former Pakistani prime minister was also a student at oxford at the same time author Christopher Stanford says the two were even romantically involved for some time he says that Bhutto was the first one to call Imran khan the line of Lahore it was during his days in England that Imran khan got noticed for his cricketing talent he played county cricket for Worcestershire and also represented the oxford blues cricket team in 1976 he returned to Pakistan and was part of their national team he was talented indeed but some say he got selected even then two of his maternal cousins Majid khan had been captains of the same team reports say they may have helped him a gesture he returned by dropping Majid khan from the team when he became captain the two did not speak for years apparently reconciled only after Imran khan entered politics by the late 1970s Imran khan had become a star a cricketing sensation one of the best bowlers in the world a pioneer in the reverse swing technique off-field he was as much a swinger a man about town both in London and Lahore he led a brazenly modern life partied just as hard as he played cricket the western press called him an aristocratic playboy someone who came from an Islamic country but had nothing remotely Islamic about him he would chase supermodels in London's nightclubs pose lounging on his bed in Saturn night suits and get clicked shirtless on beaches with women described as mysterious blondes his affairs were no mystery though throughout the 1980s he was linked to scores of women some of whom he also admitted to have dated the last one sita white is said to have had a love child with Imran khan not making this up in 1997 she filed a paternity suit she said that khan was the father of a daughter born out of wedlock the same year a California court ruled in her favor Imran khan denied these allegations but several years later he said he was willing to take the child's custody there are pictures of her with Imran khan's two sons which brings us to his marriages very interestingly for the first 42 years of his life Imran khan was a bachelor in the next 25 years he married thrice in 1995 he married 21 year old jemima goldsmith a British socialite daughter of sir James goldsmith a successful financier and politician in 2004 they got divorced because Jemma could not adapt to life in Pakistan last year she posted this quoting a verse from the Quran to slam Imran khan's remarks on how women should dress i feel incredibly sentimental about Pakistan even though it's quite a maddening place sometimes i really hope that Pakistan will come through and have the future that it deserves in January 2015 he married Raham khan a British journalist of Pakistani origin in October the same year they got divorced Raham khan blamed Ibrahim's reckless lifestyle also his patriarchal mindset for this there comes a time where you have to put it just as it is and you have to do it at the cost of sort of you know people uh assassinating my character or my daughters we are prepared for that in February 2018 four months before he became prime minister Imran khan married bushra bibi a wheel wearing Sufi scholar a spiritual back in 1995 when Imran khan was asked about his lifestyle he famously said and I'm quoting the playboy image is exaggerated but I'm not a saint either i never claimed to be an angel i'm just a humble sinner speaking of which he was a sinner on the field too Imran khan had an illustrious career in cricket he was a formidable player a great all-rounder a charismatic captain he ushered Pakistan cricket into its golden era led his team to victory in the 1992 world cup selected and trained a host of aspiring players but for all of his impressive credentials he was self-admittedly achieved in 1994 he confessed to ball tampering on numerous occasions he said it was no big deal not such a big sin as it is now he said he never considered a cheating everyone tempered the ball and so did he nobody was an angel exact word spoken although he did try to project himself as one after retirement an angel who could do no wrong an incorruptible philanthropist he got 90 000 euros his prize money after the 92 world cup he took this money to build the shock at Khanum hospital a cancer center in Lahore named after his mother till date it is Pakistan's largest tertiary care hospital it was built on funds from Pakistani citizens and a host of international donors his critics say Imran khan used these funds to build his personal wealth too that he diverted them to offshore accounts in France and Oman and this was despite the fact that he had inherited three generations of wealth from his father in 1996 Imran khan entered politics he launched his own political party the PTI Pakistan hurricane safe he shed his playboy image transitioned to a devout Muslim style himself as an anti-poverty reformer he even began counting prayer beads in public it seems conflicting though that he did not grow a beard as most devout Muslim men do Imran khan's political views were as contradicting he upheld liberalism but also appeased the Islamic clergy he condemned Islamic terrorism but also provided funds to the Pakistani Taliban he endorsed free speech but also defended Pakistan's notorious blasphemy laws he promised to strengthen democracy but also supported purveys musher of school in 1999. Imran khan's critics often said that he should be given the gabbles award for all the U-turns and lies he delivered with confidence but the people of Pakistan it seems could not care less they saw no difference in his words and actions in 2002 they elected him to Pakistan's national assembly post which there was no stopping Imran khan he embarked on dharma politics he campaigned vocally against corruption promised to put an end to dynastic politics and raise a whole new class of clean politicians the promises clicked with the supporters especially the urban middle class and young people who were tired of Pakistan's never ending slide into stone age Iran khan capitalized on this wave of disillusionment eventually became the prime minister of Pakistan in 2018 but even Pakistani citizens know that his victory was a soft coup engineered by the real rulers the Pakistan army Imran khan was the army's man their blue-eyed boy they installed him to power hoping he would be a pliable civilian leader but that was not to be he has crossed one red line after another undermined the army's authority pushed back against their policies his downfall make no mistake is not about Pakistan's economy or the state of democracy as his critics often say it's about his war with the Pakistan army his refusal to play into the hands of the generals and this is a battle he was never going to win as for the people of Pakistan they are the ultimate losers in this battle no prime minister of Pakistan has ever completed a full term not one 75 years and not one stable government there are only lessons to take here lessons on why things need to change unfortunately in Pakistan even change is not inevitable