Imprisoned former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has applied to become the next chancellor of Britain's Oxford University.

Islamabad: Jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief and former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan wants to be the next chancellor of Oxford University in Britain and has applied for the post, PTI said on Monday. The party took to X and informed that Khan, an Oxford alumnus, had 'formally submitted' a request to become the next chancellor of the prestigious university through his party's London-based spokesperson Syed Zulfiqar Bukhari.

“Pakistan's national hero and former prime minister Imran Khan, founder and chairman of Pakistan's largest political party PTI, cricket legend, philanthropist and Oxford University alumnus running for Chancellor of Oxford University, all while in jail,” read a post by PTI.

“Despite being illegally imprisoned for over a year, Khan remains committed to his principles and the causes he champions. Zulfi Bukhari has confirmed that the application has been formally submitted,” it added.

Khan's party announcement comes after Hong Kong's last British governor, Chris Patton, announced in February that he was stepping down as Oxford chancellor, Al Jazeera reported.

However, according to the university's website, the list of candidates for the 10-year term will not be announced until October and voting will be held later that month.

Khan graduated from university in 1975 after studying philosophy, politics and economics.

Later in his career as one of Pakistan's greatest cricketers, he led a playboy lifestyle and regularly graced the pages of Britain's gossip magazines, according to Al Jazeera.

The former Prime Minister of Pakistan was married three times in his life, including to British socialite and filmmaker Jemima Goldsmith. He also served as Chancellor of the University of Bradford from 2005 to 2014. Khan later turned to philanthropy and politics and served as the Prime Minister of Pakistan from 2018 to 2022.

In 2022, Khan lost his position as prime minister after failing to win a confidence vote. He tried to criticize the military – his erstwhile backer – and managed to draw huge crowds at rallies as he fought for a political comeback. Khan was detained in August last year on various charges of corruption and inciting violence and spent a year in jail. However, the PTI founder dismissed the allegations as politically motivated efforts to prevent him from capturing power, Al Jazeera reported.