LONDON: Syed Zulfi Bukhari, former prime minister Imran Khan’s adviser on worldwide affairs, has claimed that Oxford College was put below strain by Pakistani authorities sources to dam the PTI founder from contesting the chancellor election.
Bukhari ran a high-profile media marketing campaign for the imprisoned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) prime chief to run within the election however the college determined to not enable Khan to face within the election, not to mention turn out to be the chancellor, over Toshakhana conviction and politicisation of the difficulty.
Talking to Geo Information, Bukhari mentioned he was satisfied that the federal government forces from Pakistan campaigned towards Khan’s candidacy and put the college below some form of strain to dam him from contesting the chancellor election.
“The Oxford College has made a really narrow-minded and pressured choice to dam Imran Khan. The choice got here as a giant disappointment as a result of the entire of Pakistan wished Imran Khan to participate within the Oxford College chancellor election. Folks from India, Bangladesh, Indonesia and plenty of Islamic international locations wished Imran Khan to participate, he claimed.
The PTI chief additional mentioned that almost 200 Oxford alumni signed the petition in Khan’s help, saying there have been no authorized grounds to dam Imran Khan.
“Earlier than we submitted Imran Khan’s nomination papers we took recommendation from many King’s Counsels (KCs) they usually agreed that nothing is barring Imran Khan legally from participating. The Oxford Uni has made a narrow-minded and pressured choice to dam Imran Khan. To say that Imran Khan is convicted within the Toshakhana case wouldn’t justify the choice as a result of in the identical case, the United Nations Working Group has mentioned that Imran Khan’s detention is unlawful and circumstances towards him are politically motivated.
In all different circumstances the sentences have been appealed and put aside so there is no such thing as a authorized standing. On the finish of the day, Oxford College has a charitable standing and in accordance with the UK guidelines governing charities, Imran Khan is eligible to open his financial institution accounts and turn out to be a trustee or turn out to be a charity director.”
Bukhari mentioned one of many largest consciousness campaigns within the historical past of Oxford College was run round Khan’s candidacy and the entire world obtained to find out about his case by way of this marketing campaign. He mentioned he was conscious that the varsity was petitioned towards Khan – first began by social media activists R A Shehzad and Hajra Khan and later picked up PML-N UK’s Khurram Butt and several other others – however he mentioned a number of different actors performed a job too.
He mentioned: “I perceive that many pressures got here alongside his candidacy. I imagine that Oxford Uni has made a ‘pressured choice’ and Lord Daniel Hannan clearly mentioned it a call was made in strain. I don’t assume the UK authorities has performed a component however the Pakistani authorities definitely has. Political variations apart, the Pakistani authorities ought to have supported Imran Khan as he would have offered Pakistan on a worldwide stage. They need to have supported him as a Pakistani hero. There is no such thing as a doubt that there was sufficient strain utilized and Oxford College might have thought that they didn’t wish to get entangled in a muddy scenario.”
Bukhari has additionally mentioned he’s contemplating authorized motion towards the college and already written to the college.
“Naturally, earlier than making use of for this position we took the recommendation of KCs, prime solicitors throughout the nation, barristers – and with their consent and their opinion did we go forward. So legally there is no such thing as a cause why Khan shouldn’t be allowed to contest. I’m positive we are going to resolve it. We are going to use all authorized prospects.”
A college supply informed Geo Information: “Greater than 40 folks utilized and solely 38 have been accepted. The candidates have been solely excluded in accordance with the exclusion standards of the college. 26,000 folks have registered to vote on this election. Khan has been disqualified to run within the election over a number of components together with his conviction and political position.”
The outstanding names eager to turn out to be the following Chancellor are Lord William Hague, Girl Elish Angiolini, Lord Peter Mandelson, Khan, Dr Margaret Casely-Hayford and Dominic Grieve however solely Khan has been disqualified from the highest 5 well-known figures.
Geo Information had reported solely on Tuesday {that a} King’s Counsel at UK’s main regulation agency Matrix Chambers has opined that former prime minister Khan isn’t eligible for Oxford Chancellorship in accordance with the college’s personal laws. Hugh Southey, King’s Counsel at Matrix Chambers in London mentioned: “In my view, Khan is unlikely to be eligible to be a candidate in mild of one among his legal convictions.”