Imran Khan, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman, who on Saturday took oath as Pakistan’s Prime Minister. The cricketer-turned-politician became the 22nd premier of the country where four military governments have ruled for almost half of its 71-year history. Following is a timeline of Mr. Khan’s march to power:
April 25, 1996: Imran Khan establishes Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) political party.
October 10, 2002: Mr. Khan contests 2002 general elections and elected as Member of Parliament.
November 19, 2007: Mr. Khan was imprisoned briefly for criticising the regime of former military ruler Gen. (Retd) Pervez Musharraf.
May 11, 2013: Mr. Khan promises to transform Pakistan into a ‘Naya Pakistan’ - a welfare state free from corruption.
June 25, 2016: Mr. Khan announces that PTI will hold demonstrations against then prime minister Nawaz Sharif after the release of Panama Papers.
November 2, 2016: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) leader Hanif Abbasi files petition for Imran Khan’s disqualification, accusing him of money-laundering, concealing assets and receiving funds from foreign sources for the PTI.
May 3, 2017: Pakistan’s Supreme Court begins hearing the case; quizzes Mr. Khan on his Bani Gala property in Islamabad.
June 1, 2017: Jemima Goldsmith, Mr. Khan’s former spouse, tweets that she has found bank statements “to prove Imran Khan money trail/innocence in court”
December 15, 2017: Supreme Court rules in favour of Mr. Khan and Pakistan anti-graft court begins trial of Sharif, his family in the Panama Papers case pushed by Mr. Khan.
May 27, 2018: Pakistan announces general elections on July 25.
July 25, 2018: Pakistan votes for the third straight civilian government.
July, 26, 2018: Mr. Khan claims victory in the general elections amid allegations of vote rigging.
July 28, 2018: Mr. Khan’s PTI emerges as the single largest party in the National Assembly with 116 seats.
August 6, 2018: PTI nominates Mr. Khan as Pakistan’s next Prime Minister.
August 7, 2018: Election Commission allows Mr. Khan to conditionally take oath as National Assembly member.
August 13, 2018: Mr. Khan among 329 newly-elected members of Pakistan’s Parliament take oath.
August 15, 2018: Pakistan Parliament elects Mr. Khan’s party nominees as Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
August 17, 2018: Mr. Khan defeats PML-N prime ministerial candidate Shehbaz Sharif.
August 18, 2018: Mr. Khan takes oath as Pakistan’s 22nd Prime Minister.