Born in Lahore, Pakistan, Imran Khan made his debut in first class cricket at the age of sixteen. He soon moved to England where he combined studying PPE at Oxford with his burgeoning international cricketing career. In 1992 his career reached its zenith when he led his country to victory in the Cricket World Cup. On retirement, he turned his focus to social work, establishing Pakistan’s first cancer hospital in the memory of his late mother and serving as a UNICEF Special Representative. In 1996 he entered the political fray, founding the Tehreek-e-Insaf (Movement for Justice) party, which he still leads. He is a fierce critic of the Musharraf regime and boycotted last month’s elections in protest at the declaration of emergency rule. KB caught up with him just before the elections.

King’s Bench: How and why did you first get involved in politics?

Imran Khan: No social reformer has ever single-handedly changed a country. It is only through politics that you can change a country. Even Gandhi was also a brilliant politician who mobilized the people and had an entire political party behind him.

My idea was always to stay in social work. I had thought about going into education after building the hospital but realized that that was not enough. NGOs can fill some of the cracks, but here in Pakistan we have huge fault lines which can only be corrected by political action backed by strong will. The only way we can change this country is to bring in the proper people at the helm of leadership; people who are conscientious, who want to change the society.

KB: To what extent do you think your popularity stems from your status as a celebrated sporting figure as opposed to your political stature and principles?

IK: It might be true that in early days of my politics people didn’t really know what we were saying, but our message has been successful. For example, since our inception twelve years ago, we have been advocating the independence of the judiciary. Today there is consensus in the whole country about independence of judiciary. Moreover all the main political parties are actually doing their politics on our objectives and agenda. This is our political success.

Another example is accountability which is a term we introduced to the political discourse in 1996. All subsequent governments exploited this issue and established courts and bureaus but then only paid lip-service to them and brushed everything under the carpet. The same disgraceful action has been repeated under the National Reconciliation Ordinance, a deal done through the Pakistan People’s Party to forgive all the financial corruption of politicians. So people have now realized what we are fighting for. This is the reason our vote bank is growing faster than any other party.

KB: Who are your political heroes?

IK: I greatly admire Nelson Mandela for his vision, credibility and selflessness. I also have a great deal of respect for Mohammad Ali Jinnah (the founder of Pakistan) and Mahathir Muhammad (former Malaysian Prime Minister). Both made great sacrifices but did not compromise on their principles.

KB: What does your party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, stand for?

IK: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is committed to bringing political stability through credible democracy and bringing transparency and accountability to the leadership of government through an independent justice system. We believe in federalism and in giving autonomy to the provinces, as envisaged in the 1973 Constitution but never granted.

The PTI is not merely a political party; it is a broad-based, grass roots movement that embraces the interests of all Pakistanis. People whose cultural and ethnic diversities blend into common goals and aspirations for a just society based on a democratic culture and the rule of law.

KB: The Economist recently labelled your country, Pakistan, as ‘the world’s most dangerous state’. Do you agree?

IK: I don’t agree but if United States keeps supporting a dictator and things go on as they are, then I am afraid this might become true. I find Pakistanis very talented, vibrant and also in fact moderate by nature. If they were trusted and given the chance to have their say in the system then they would themselves eliminate extremists by the vote. When elections have been held, the extremists have always been sidelined. It is only under military dictatorships when moderate politicians are suppressed that militants and extremists find a fertile breeding ground. Currently the whole system is controlled by a single man and no one has any trust or say in the system. People are deprived of all basic needs; there is frustration and hopelessness. This is one of the reasons you have seen such an increase in suicide bombings in Pakistan when just few years back they weren’t heard of.

KB: What, in your view, has given rise to the unprecedented levels of extremism in Pakistan?

IK: There has been an increase and it is due to lack of a representative government. Militancy was also encouraged by the Agencies during and after the Afghan War for Jihad in Kashmir. The solution lies in having a true sovereign state with an independent foreign policy first and then providing autonomy to the provinces as envisaged in the 1973 Constitution (in letter and spirit). We had been victims of terrorism long before 9/11 and are now suffering more due to a new form of militancy generated by the US war on terror on our western border. One area in which we truly differ from the Americans is that of the execution of anti-terrorism plans. The US is promoting a single-track military option whereas we would advance a political solution first and keep the threat of military action in reserve.

KB: The Bush administration has stood behind President Musharraf in spite of the events of the last few months. How close a relationship should Pakistan have with the United States?

IK: The US administration should stand behind people of Pakistan rather just one person, particularly when he is so unpopular within the country. In fact this is the main reason for the huge anti-American sentiment in our country. Because the US is supporting a dictator who has no public support in Pakistan, the majority which is against him has also turned against the US. The US administration should back the democratic process rather than personalities.

KB: What is your personal political ambition?

IK: My ambition is to bring about a social and economic revolution in Pakistan through justice at all levels of society and moderation. I aim to take the Pakistani people out of this plight through education and enlightenment.

KB: It now appears that Benazir Bhutto was killed on the orders of Baitullah Mehsud, although some still blame the Government. Who do you think is responsible for her death?

IK: It is very difficult to say. It could have been any of the groups that are now fighting against the Pakistan army. Benazir Bhutto had specifically stated that she would fight against al-Qaeda, the Taliban and the fundamentalists. So, clearly, each of these various groups may have been responsible. It could have also been the stakeholders, people who had been in power for nine years who were threatened by her. This is why an independent inquiry is needed.

KB: Do you fear for your life?

IK: I have no fear of death. When I came into politics I always thought there was the possibility that I would be killed. My lack of fear is due to my growing faith in Islam. Spirituality does two things for you: firstly, you become more selfless, and secondly, you learn to trust in providence.

KB: What is your vision for the future of Pakistan?

IK: My vision is huge. I want Pakistan to be a modern Islamic welfare state that is based on the freedom of man. Our potential can only be realised in a free environment. This means freedom from illiteracy, freedom from all forms of state oppression, equal opportunities for all citizens, a proper system of law and order and reducing the size of the bureaucracy. I believe in an efficient state that allows for the natural genius of people to evolve and develop, which does not impinge on people’s individual rights.

KB: What can supporters of your movement in the UK do to help your cause?

IK: One of Pakistan’s greatest assets are the overseas Pakistanis especially students because they are learning skills in very competitive environments. I think they can provide real hope by attracting the funds and skills that will propel Pakistan into the future. However this will only happen when we get the system right in Pakistan. If we have a corrupt system which serves as a deterrent to our overseas nationals bringing in their skills and capital, this great asset becomes totally ineffective.

I would want students in UK to keep creating awareness both inside and outside Pakistan and prepare themselves to take responsibility in the future when our party embarks on serious nation-building.

Our thanks go to Ali Zaidi for facilitating this interview.