Imran Khan, Survivor

Pakistan’s former prime minister will recover from being shot in the leg, but how his country responds is another question: A Dispatch Explainer.

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Imran Khan (Photo by ARIF ALI/AFP via Getty Images)

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan survived an apparent assassination attempt Thursday, deepening tensions in a country already on the edge. What does this week’s shooting mean for Khan’s political future—and the stability of his nuclear-armed nation?

Who is Imran Khan? 

Khan, a 70-year-old former professional cricket player, entered politics in the 1990s by portraying himself as a reforming outsider and pious Muslim. He served as Pakistan’s prime minister from August 2018 until earlier this year. 

Khan’s populism proved particularly appealing among young, middle-class, and urban voters, and he had some real accomplishments to point to. 

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