Imran Khan is not on the list of 38 candidates for Chancellor, according to a press release from Oxford University, despite Khan’s intention to run.
The University stated that applicants were considered solely on four exclusion criteria. Three of them – cannot be a student of the University, cannot be an employee of the University, cannot be a member or candidate for an elected legislature – do not apply to Khan. The fourth criteria states that the candidate must not be “disqualified from being a charity trustee by virtue of section 178 of the Charities Act 2011” and must be a “fit and proper person” as determined by His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs.
The Charities Act disqualified persons convicted of “an offence, not specified in section 178A, that involves dishonesty or deception”. Khan has not been convicted of any offences in section 178A, which include bribery and terrorism offences.
Khan’s advisor Sayed Bukhari told Cherwell: “It’s extremely disappointed to see Oxford University come to this unwarranted decision. Imran khan is legally eligible to run for the election. Oxford University has missed a trick to be a global trend setter. Lawyers have asked the university for its reasons. On behalf of Imran Khan, I wish all the candidates the best of luck with their campaign and election.”
When Cherwell contacted the University regarding which exclusion criteria Khan was disqualified for, the spokesperson declined to comment.
The former prime minister of Pakistan, Khan is currently in prison on remand due to a corruption charge relating to his time in office.
The list of candidates:
Aftab, Sidra
Ahmad, Hasanat
Ammora, Ayham
Angiolini, Elish
Baig, Anwar
Bhandari, Ankur Shiv
Bhangal, Nirpal Singh Paul
Bilal, Kashif
Bruce, Alastair
Callaghan, George
Casely-Hayford, Margaret
Catlin, Graham
Connor, Mei Rose
Dandy, Emma
Farooqi, Azeem
Firth, Matthew
Grieve, Dominic
Hague, William
Heiming, Lyn Michelle
Ivatts, Benjamin
Kay, Simon
Mandelson, Peter
Miake-Lye, Ryn
Moxham, Angie
Muhammad Hafiz Shaikh, Shaikh Aftab Ahmad Javaid
Parr-Reid, Maxim
Pasha, Alam
Pethiyagoda, Kadira
Rauf, Kashmaila
Royall, Jan
Shah, Talha
Shapoo, Abrar ul Hassan
Stratton, Harry
Tajik, Tanya
Tarvadi, Pratik
Vladovici Poplauschi, Francisc
Wang, Xingang
Willetts, David
