Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi:

Imran Ahmad Khan Niazi, a former cricketer and politician from Pakistan, was the country’s 22nd prime minister from August 2018 to April 2022 (Urdu: ; born 5 October 1952). He is the founder and leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) political party.

Khan, who was raised in a Niazi Pashtun family in Lahore, earned an Oxford degree from Keble College. In a Test series against England in 1971, he made his debut in the game of cricket for his country. Khan was a member of the team from 1982 to 1992, served as interim captain from 1982 to 1992, and led Pakistan to its lone World Cup victory in 1992. Khan was later admitted to the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame and is widely regarded as one of cricket’s greatest all-rounders. Khan won an election as the leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in 1996, With a populist platform in the 2018 general election, PTI won the most seats in the National Assembly and, with Khan as prime minister, formed a coalition government with independents.

When Khan was prime minister, he used IMF bailouts to address a balance of payments crisis. He oversaw a decreasing current account deficit, reduced defense spending to reduce the fiscal deficit, and stimulated some general economic growth as a result. He implemented measures to boost investment and tax revenue. His administration committed to a shift to renewable energy, introduced the Plant for Pakistan initiative and Ehsaas Program, and increased Pakistan’s protected areas. He presided over the COVID-19 pandemic, which threatened his political position by causing economic unrest and rising inflation in the nation.

Pakistan was nonetheless listed by The Economist as one of the nations that handled the pandemic well. Hong Kong came in first and New Zealand came in second in this ranking, with Pakistan coming in third. The government under Khan’s leadership reportedly achieved a noteworthy 6.5% GDP growth rate in 2021, despite facing a number of obstacles. Since 2005, when the Musharraf military government achieved the same rate, this growth rate has been at its highest level.

Khan was the first prime minister to be ousted from office by a no-confidence vote in April 2022, during a constitutional crisis. After accusing the police and judicial system of imprisoning and torturing a supporter, he was charged in August under anti-terror laws.

Regarding the Toshakhana reference case, the Election Commission of Pakistan disqualified Khan in October from holding office for the current session of the National Assembly of Pakistan. He was the victim of an attempted murder in November at a political rally in Wazirabad, Punjab.

Khan was taken into custody at the Islamabad High Court on May 9, 2023, on suspicion of corruption by paramilitary soldiers who forced their way inside. Numerous thousands of Khan’s supporters were detained as a result of protests that erupted across the country of Pakistan, and military facilities were looted. He attributed his arrest, which led to his release, to Asim Munir, the Chief of Army Staff.

Khan faced opposition nonetheless because of his close ties to the military establishment, his campaign against militants, and the precarious state of the economy. The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), a coalition of the main opposition parties, was established in late 2020 with the stated purpose of increasing the independence of the civilian government from the military establishment. Khan was called to resign in protests and rallies organized by the PDM, which charged him with being an army puppet. These parties abstained from a vote of confidence Khan’s government called in March 2021, which Khan narrowly won with the help of his coalition partners. Following a failed attempt by Khan to influence the military establishment’s top posts, the two fell out later that year.In March 2022, the opposition moved to hold its own vote of confidence as anger over ongoing inflation increased. Important PTI allies left the ruling coalition, and several PTI members also left the party. Following the vote, Khan was ousted as prime minister for the first time in Pakistan’s history on April 10 as a result of a motion of no confidence.

Under the new Shehbaz Sharif-led PML-N administration, the economy only got worse, paving the way for the PTI to make a stunning comeback months after it was toppled. In a shocking landslide victory, the PTI won 15 of the 20 seats up for election in Punjab province’s legislature in July 2022. Punjab is Pakistan’s largest province and has historically been a stronghold for the PML-N.

However, Khan encountered significant obstacles while attempting to capitalize on his popularity at rallies held across the nation. He received criticism in August for expressing intent to sue judges and police officers in Islamabad during a speech. After that speech, he was charged, marking the start of a string of legal issues in the months to come. He was temporarily prohibited from holding public office in October after the election commission claimed that he had engaged in corrupt behavior. He was shot in the leg in what appears to have been an assassination attempt in November while leading a protest convoy from the city of Lahore to Islamabad.

Khan claimed repeatedly that a military officer was behind the assassination attempt, but the military publicly refuted this claim after a rally in May 2023, calling it “highly irresponsible and baseless.” He was detained by numerous paramilitary officers a few days later for refusing to assist with ongoing corruption investigations.

Regarding the Toshakhana reference case, the Election Commission of Pakistan disqualified Khan in October from holding office for the current session of the National Assembly of Pakistan. He was the victim of an attempted murder in November at a political rally in Wazirabad, Punjab.

Khan was taken into custody at the Islamabad High Court on May 9, 2023, on suspicion of corruption by paramilitary soldiers who forced their way inside. Numerous thousands of Khan’s supporters were detained as a result of protests that erupted across the country of Pakistan, and military facilities were looted. He attributed his arrest, which led to his release, to Asim Munir, the Chief of Army Staff. In retaliation, the army declared May 9 to be “Black Day,” with MoPD Minister Ahsan Iqbal referring to it as Pakistan’s 9/11. On August 5, 2023, he was given a three-year prison sentence. Subsequently, he was taken into custody a second time.

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