Imran Khan arrested: A look at cricketer-turned-politician's political life so far

Imran Khan, former prime minister of Pakistan, has been arrested. The former premier was arrested on Tuesday (May 9) outside Islamabad High Court. The cricketer-turned-politician has been a prominent figure in Pakistan for decades and his ascent to power has been chronicled world over. The Oxford-educated former cricketer already had immeasurable fame in Pakistan as the only captain of the country's cricket team who led it to a World Cup victory in 1992. After his foray into politics, he remained one of the notable figures whose crowing glory was winning the country's prime ministerial office.

Let's take a look at Imran Khan's political journey so far.

Imran Khan's entry into Pakistan's politics

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After his retirement from Cricket, Imran Khan formed his own party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in 1996. He became a vocal critic of the Pakistani regime and spoke out against the government's mismanagement and corruption.

In its first-ever electoral test in national elections in 1997, PTI won less than one per cent of votes and failed to win any seat in Pakistan's National Assembly.

In the 2002 elections, the party won oneseat which was filled by Imran Khan himself.

In October 2007, Imran Khan resigned from the assembly to protest General Pervez Musharraf's candidacy in the presidential elections. Later that year, Khan was briefly imprisoned as part of a crackdown on critics of Musharraf. PTI condemned the state of emergency declared by Musharraf and boycotted the 2008 elections.

Imran Khan's political ascent

Imran Khan held a series of successful rallies that drew in thousands of people just months before the 2013 legislative elections. During a campaign rally, Imran Khan fell from a platform and injured his head and back. Hours later, he addressed his supporters in a televised speech which he gave from the hospital bed.

The elections produced PTI's highest totaltill that time, but the number of seats won was still not enough. He made accusations of vote rigging.

IN 2014, Imran Khan held many rallies for months to pressure the then-PM Nawaz Sharif to step down. Suspicions of corruption against Sharif were amplified when his family was named in Panama Papers. Nawaz Sharif was subsequently disqualified by the court from the prime ministerial office.

In 2018, Khan's party contested elections, raising the issues of corruption and poverty. PTI won enough seats to forge a coalition with independents. He was appointed prime minister on August 18.

Removal from office

Imran Khan faced criticism from his opponents for his close relationship with the military establishment. In 2020, Khan's political opponents formed a coalition by the name of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM). The coalition accused Imran Khan of being a puppet of the military.

Also Read | Imran Khan: Former Pak PM arrested outside Islamabad High Court in corruption case

In March 2022, PDM held a vote of confidence. Some important allies of PTI left its coalition. There were defections from within PTI's own ranks. The vote was held. On April 10, Imran Khan was removed as PM. He became the first PM in the history of Pakistan to be removed by a No Confidence Vote.

PTI's 'comeback' and 'assassination attempt' on Imran

Even when it was ousted from the helm, PTI registered a surprise landslide victory in Pakistan Punjab's assembly elections in July 2022. Khan attempted to ride the wave by organising rallies.

Also Read | Imran Khan arrest: Did he see it coming? Anti-army rants in past days may have led to Pak Rangers move

In November 2022, when he was heading a protest convoy from Lahore to Islamabad, Imran Khan was shot in the leg apparently in an assassination attempt.

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