Former cricketer Imran Khan’s political party Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) was formally declared the winner on Friday, 27 June, in Pakistan's historic second democratic transfer of power.
Imran Khan, after the results, is all set to become the first-ever cricketer to become the prime minister of any country in the world.
Once the flamboyant captain of the ‘Lions’ of Pakistan’, Khan is scheduled to take on the role of the Prime Minister with promises of fighting corruption and helping millions of Pakistanis out of poverty.
In his time, Khan was the best all-rounder in the game, the finest cricketer Pakistan has produced, and one of its greatest heart-throbs. He was as comfortable mixing with celebrities off the field as he was facing West Indian bats and bouncers on the field.
Khan even got better with age – in his last 10 years, he averaged 50 with the bat and 19 as a fast bowler.
After winning the World Cup, Imran immediately retired at age 39, opened a cancer hospital in memory of his mother two years later, and launched his political party, Tehreek-e-Insaf (Movement for Justice) four years later.
On 16 May 1995, at the age of 43, Khan married 21-year-old Jemima Goldsmith, in a two-minute ceremony conducted in Urdu in Paris. The couple have two sons, Sulaiman Isa and Kasim.
During his campaign, Khan vowed to wipe out corruption, strengthen institutions that he called dysfunctional, and regain national pride by developing international relationships based on respect and equality.
Imran Khan will also have the honour of becoming the the first cricketer in the world to be elected a prime minister.
After leaving its nearest opponent behind by almost double its number of seats, Pakistan's PM-in-waiting Imran Khan thanked his supporters for a "historic election" and vowed to usher in a "naya (new) Pakistan".
The cricketer-turned-politician's 'victory speech' came even as counting trends showed that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf would have to stitch together a coalition to form the government.
His victory speech came following a vote that was marred by allegations of fraud and rigging, and militant violence in which dozens were killed.
The PM-in-waiting, said that he was one of those politicians who wanted good relations with India. He said that India and Pakistan should end the blame game and resume talks with each other.
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