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Despite the suppression of his party, downed mobile phone networks on Election Day, and deadly election-related violence, Pakistan’s 130 million voters delivered the embattled former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his allies a resounding victory at the polls last week.
Read More: Pakistan’s Military Used Every Trick to Sideline Imran Khan—and Failed. Now What?
This week, Khan, who was ousted in 2022 and now sits in jail on a bevy of criminal convictions—which, he maintains, are politically motivated—has made clear who he would like to see become the country’s next Prime Minister: Omar Ayub Khan. The endorsement was announced Thursday by a senior member of Khan’s party who met with the imprisoned former leader.
The 56-year-old former finance minister wrote on X that he was “truly humbled” by the nomination. “PTI as a party will work for strengthening democratic institutions in Pakistan so that the country’s economy can be put on a path of positive trajectory and we can initiate our reforms programme to benefit the people of Pakistan,” he said. “We will not allow our mandate to be stolen.”
While candidates backed by Khan—most registered as independents, including Ayub, because of moves made by the Electoral Commission to hamstring Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party—managed to win the most seats in last week’s election, they do not have a majority alone to form a government. Coalition negotiations are underway before the elected lawmakers convene for a National Assembly session on Feb. 29.
As Prime Minister nominee, Ayub will face off against former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who leads a rival coalition consisting of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Peoples Party and is believed to be the preferred candidate of Pakistan’s powerful military establishment.
Here’s what to know about Ayub, who, if Khan’s popular movement continues to defy the odds, could become the country’s next leader.
He faces multiple…
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