Imran Khan - Ranked Key

In LONDON: The British press has mostly praised Imran Khan, the founder of PTI, for applying to become the Chancellor of Oxford University. However, a recent article in the Observer, written by columnist Catherine Bennett, criticizes him harshly. Bennett, who often writes about politics and culture, argues that Khan's controversial views and actions make him a poor choice for such an important position that represents Oxford's values worldwide. In her article, Bennett mentions that Khan has referred to Osama bin Laden as a "martyr" and praised the Taliban for "breaking the chains of slavery." She also notes that Khan has defended the Taliban’s ban on women's education and expressed outdated views on rape, suggesting women should avoid being a "temptation" because "not everyone has self-control." The Observer column argues that Khan becoming Chancellor would be an insult to women and goes against Oxford’s values. Bennett also criticizes Khan for his admiration of the Chinese Communist Party, especially their treatment of Uyghur Muslims, which he once praised as a better model than Western democracies. She believes this view does not align with Oxford’s commitment to free speech and human rights. The article compares Khan with another candidate for the chancellorship, Lady Elish Angiolini, who is presented as a better choice. Angiolini is highlighted for her background as a lawyer, her efforts to make Oxford more accessible to poorer students, and her leadership in important public investigations. Bennett writes about Angiolini, saying, “It is hard to imagine a person whose leadership would be less appealing to the Taliban and its supporters. Unfortunately, Khan’s supporters cannot say the same for him.” The article appears amidst a lot of media attention in the British press on Khan’s application and his chances. Some British MPs, like Conservative peer Lord Daniel Hannan and independent MPs Shockat Adam and Adnan Hussain, have supported Khan for the position. However, an associate professor at Oxford told Dawn last week that Khan’s chances of winning are slim, and he is unlikely to receive many votes. Adeel Malik commented, “But I suspect the PTI is not necessarily interested in winning; they want to make an issue out of this, and they have succeeded.