Oxford, UK: Imran Khan, Founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf or PTI and former Prime Minister of Pakistan has been disqualified from the race to be the chancellor at the University of Oxford. This emerged on Wednesday after review of his candidature as a result of his imprisonment.
Roughly 40 candidates have been shortlisted to vie for the chancellorship, but Khan was not eligible for consideration because of his immigration status. A top UK law firm, Matrix Chambers, clarified that because of his criminal record, Khan does not qualify to become a chancellor as required by the regulations of the university.
According to the statement issued by the university, “In the first round of voting, voters will be able to rank as many candidates as they wish.”. The top five contenders will be forwarded to a runoff election scheduled to take place during the Michaelmas Term Week 6 starting 18 November. The chancellor electronic election will involve the worldwide community of colleagues and alumni, making their vote electronic. The electronic round of the election will occur in Week 3 of the Michaelmas term, starting 28 October. From this date onwards, no person will be allowed registration for voting.
This is a development after opinion from Hugh Southey, the King’s Counsel at Matrix Chambers, who himself said, “In my opinion, Mr. Khan is unlikely to be eligible to be a candidate in light of one of his criminal convictions.” The Beltway Grid, a lobby group for policy advocacy, summarized Southey’s legal view; its tone went significant emphasis on the consequences of one’s candidature to the candidature and the rights that his candidacy incurs on the part of the university.
He is Southey, who is a respected legal expert called to the bar in 1996, well experienced with high-profile cases presented even before the UK Supreme Court. His involvement in this case highlights the need for exemplary adherence to legal standards in the electoral process.