Prime Minister Imran Khan has been declared Man of the Year by The Muslim 500 — a Jordan-based publication. The magazine accorded Imran Khan the Man of the Year Award. America’s Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib is termed Woman of the Year.
Pakistan PM becomes ‘Man of the Year’
The Jordanian magazine ranks influential Muslim leaders every year in its annual list. This is the 11th list issued by the premier publication. The magazine says had there been The Muslim 500 back in 1992, Imran Khan would have been the Man of the Year 1992 due to his magnificent performance in the cricket, leading Pakistan towards 1992 Cricket World Cup triumph.
The publication highlighted the efforts made by Prime Minister Imran Khan to normalize ties with India and avoid any confrontation, contrary to Indian aggressive posturing, undermining Pakistan’s repeated calls for peaceful settlement of Kashmir dispute https://t.co/5aoRSJlNeY… pic.twitter.com/Xc49Qh5B7G
— Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (@MoIB_Official) August 24, 2020
“I also was touched when Khan launched a successful fundraising campaign to establish a hospital devoted to both the care of victims of cancer as well as research.
This was his magnificent response to the loss of his mother to cancer in 1985 and given Imran Khan’s extraordinary popularity with Pakistanis both at home as well as among a large number of Pakistani expats along with his own, no doubt, generous personal contribution—he raised sufficient funds so that by 1994 the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital opened its doors in Lahore. 75 percent of its patients receive free-care,” wrote the editor.
#PMImranKhan Declared “Man Of The Year” For 2020 by The Muslim 500, a Jordan based publication,
#PMIK @shiblifaraz @MoIB_Official @PakPMO @PTIofficial @FaisalJavedKhan @ImranKhanPTI https://t.co/coxSyplRGu… pic.twitter.com/sWMkQiFPpV— Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (@MoIB_Official) August 24, 2020
Read more: Has Capt. Imran Khan settled on the political crease?
The author also mentioned the setup of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital. The magazine notes that Imran Khan prioritized peace with India when he took oath in 2018. “He wanted to normalize relations through trade, and settling the Kashmir dispute,” it said.
“Of course, there is a certain and perhaps necessary apparent naivete to Imran’s Khan’s efforts for a lasting peace as demonstrated in India’s openly aggressive behavior in August 2019, imposing a military curfew in the Indian-occupied portion of Kashmir, and the arrest of thousands of Kashmiris in Occupied Kashmir,” the publication said.
The report recounted Imran Khan’s struggle for 22 years to build up an opposition party to confront the civilian political establishment and embedded corruption in the country.
Imran Khan is ranked 16th in the list of global Muslim leaders. Pakistani religious scholar Mufti Taqi Usmani topped the list. Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei of Iran is ranked on the third spot on the list. UAE’s Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan is also included.
#ImranKhan declared "Man of the Year" by "The Muslim 500" 😍
From Nawaz Sharif making it to international headlines for "corruption" to Imran Khan making #Pakistan truly PROUD today, 🇵🇰 has come a long way, Alhamdulillah!
👏👏👏👏https://t.co/RELM36rZ9x— Maleeha Hashmey (@MaleehaHashmey) August 23, 2020
Imran Khan made his place in The Muslim 500 list last year as well. Last year his worldwide influence grew rapidly following his maiden UNGA speech.
Rise in popularity on Twitter
The recent popularity study shows Prime Minister Imran Khan has become the ninth most followed world leader on microblogging site Twitter. A study by Twiplomacy revealed the date on Tuesday. The data shows a growth of 22% in the following of PM Khan on Twitter.
Read more: Imran Khan speaks with Hasina Wajed: Bold Initiative towards Bangladesh?
A surge in the incumbent PM’s popularity
The expansion in the following of Imran Khan on Twitter marks a surge in his popularity. But does it also implies for the success of his policies in the fight against COVID-19? Communication agency, Burson Cohn and Wolfe Worldwide conducted the study. The study analyzed the activity of world leaders during the pandemic coronavirus. It reviews the tweets from their accounts during the coronavirus, their followers, content, reach, and other factors. In terms of reach, PM Khan landed on the fourth spot. His tweets reached 68% of 12.1 million followers on average. Often referred to as a populist leader, Imran Khan’s government is hailed for effectively curtailing COVID-19 in Pakistan.