LONDON: Syed Zulfi Bukhari, a former adviser on international affairs to imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan, has alleged that the Pakistani government exerted pressure on Oxford University to block Khan from participating in the chancellor election.
Bukhari, who spearheaded a high-profile media campaign advocating for Khan’s candidacy, expressed his disappointment that the university ultimately decided against allowing Khan to run due to his Toshakhana conviction and the politicization surrounding the issue.
Speaking to the media, Bukhari asserted, “It is clear that forces within the Pakistani government campaigned against Khan’s candidacy, placing undue pressure on the university to prevent him from contesting.” He described Oxford’s decision as “narrow-minded” and expressed his frustration, noting, “The entire nation wanted Imran Khan to participate in this prestigious election. Support poured in from individuals in India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and many Islamic countries.”
Bukhari highlighted that nearly 200 Oxford alumni signed a petition in support of Khan, arguing that there were no legal grounds for blocking his candidacy. “Before we submitted Imran Khan’s nomination papers, we consulted several King’s Counsels (KCs), who agreed that there was nothing legally preventing him from participating,” he stated.
He emphasized that the assertion of Khan’s conviction in the Toshakhana case did not justify the decision, especially since the United Nations Working Group has deemed his detention illegal and suggested that the charges against him are politically motivated. “In similar cases, sentences have been appealed and overturned, leaving no legal standing for this disqualification,” he added.
Bukhari noted that Oxford University, as a charitable institution, is bound by UK charity regulations, which means Khan should be eligible to open bank accounts and serve as a trustee or charity director. He remarked on the extensive awareness campaign surrounding Khan’s candidacy, asserting, “This was one of the largest awareness campaigns in the history of Oxford University, bringing global attention to his case.” While acknowledging that certain social media activists and figures from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) were involved in initiating petitions against Khan, Bukhari hinted at the involvement of various other actors in the campaign to undermine Khan’s candidacy
