Britain's University of Oxford on Wednesday said 38 candidates were in the running to become its next chancellor but Pakistan's jailed former prime minister Imran Khan was not among them despite his party saying he had applied.
The ceremonial post has been occupied continuously since 1224. The candidates – including high-profile politicians, are contesting to succeed former Hong Kong governor Chris Patten, who left the post in June after
21 years.
In August, a London-based spokesman for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said that the party founder and former prime minister of Pakistan from 2018 to 2022 had "given instructions that he would like to submit his application".
Khan has spent more than one year in prison on various charges from corruption to inciting violence. He graduated from Oxford in 1975 after studying philosophy, politics and economics, going on to captain Pakistan at cricket in a stellar career before entering politics.
The university said that the applications were considered on its "four exclusion criteria", which disqualify applicants deemed not to be a "fit and proper person" by the UK tax authority.
The 38 candidates include former Conservative party leader and foreign secretary William Hague, Labour party former EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson and former attorney general Dominic Grieve and others.
Hoping to become the first woman to hold the position in 800 years is Scottish lawyer Elish Angiolini, who is currently principal of St Hugh's College, Oxford and whose alumni include former UK prime minister Theresa May and Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
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