PM Imran ranked among world’s most influential Muslims

KARACHI: Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, has been featured among the top 50 of World’s Most Influential Muslims’ list of 2019.

According to the list titled ‘World’s Most Influential Muslims’, PM Khan has secured the 29th spot in the prestigious list, prepared annually by the Jordan-based Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre.

The list also contains three other Pakistanis, which are; Justice Sheikh Muhammad Taqi Usmani, who is on the 6th; Haji Muhammad Abdul-Wahhab, emir of Tablighi Jamaat on 14th; and Maulana Tariq Jameel, religious scholar on the 40th spot.

However, in the list of Muslim rulers and politicians, PM Khan is ranked on 15th.

According to the profile of Mr. Khan published by the ‘TheMuslim500’ website, In August 2018 Imran Khan was sworn in as the 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is ranked first place in the list. Erdogan became Turkey’s first popularly-elected president in August 2014 and then secured a second-term in the 2018 election with 52.5 percent of the vote, where electoral turnout was 86 percent.

A Long Journey: When the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party won the 2018 General Elections, it was the culmination of a 22-year journey for Imran Khan. He had founded the PTI in 1996 hoping to oust the ‘political mafias’ ruling Pakistan. He garnered national support over the next two decades and in 2013 had become the second largest party in the country by popular vote, before eventually winning in 2018.

Challenges: A crackdown on corruption and bringing accountability to the forefront are his major pledges. He has already implemented cut-backs in extravagant government expenditure and is using his personal credibility to fundraise for a dam.

Pedigree: Imran Khan started fund-raising for a cancer hospital soon after his mother died from cancer. His appeal within Pakistan and to the dias-pora Pakistani community raised enough funds to open the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre in 1994, in Lahore. It is a hugely successful project with 75% of patients receiving free treatment. He also spearheaded a successful project to build Namal University, which provides scholarship assistance to over 90% of its students.

A Sporting Legend: Imran Khan played professional cricket for 22 years and is recognized as one of the game’s finest all-rounders. His ability to lead and unite an often disparate team, culminated in Pakistan winning the 1992 world cup. It is this ability and success that many hope can be replicated in the political field.

Following is the complete list of the 50 World’s Most Influential Muslims: