FORMER Chancellor of the University of Bradford Imran Khan looks set to be elected the new Prime Minister of Pakistan.

Mr Khan, 65, a former international cricketer and member of the ICC Hall of Fame, has led his party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, to victory in the elections, but is expected to fall short of a majority, so will need to form a coalition government.

The all-rounder turned philanthropist turned politician served as Chancellor in Bradford from 2005 to 2014.

Upon retiring from cricket, following fundraising which raised £19 million, he opened a cancer hospital in Lahore in 1994, and later opened a second hospital in Peshawar in 2015.

He founded his PTI party - which translates as the Pakistan Movement for Justice - in 1996, and has served as its chairman since its creation, and has had two stints as a member of Pakistan’s National Assembly, from 2002 to 2007, and 2013 until the end of May this year.

He was presented with an honorary fellowship by the Royal College of Physicians while serving as the University of Bradford’s Chancellor in 2012.

The Muslim Women’s Council, based in Bradford, congratulated Mr Khan on his win.

It said: “Congratulations to Imran Khan on becoming Pakistan’s newest PM.

“Inshallah it’ll now be a time where we see positive changes and Pakistan progressing to fulfil all of its potential.”

Naz Shah, MP for Bradford West, said she is looking forward to working with the country’s new leader.

She said: “I have met with Imran before and will be working closely with him to achieve justice and tie up some of the campaign I have been working on.

“He will bring a fresh perspective to politics, he is not a career politician and comes from a different place politically speaking.”

Bradford East MP Imran Hussain added: “I would like to extend my warm congratulations to Imran Khan, who served as Chancellor of the University of Bradford for many years and has close links with the city, on his victory and in becoming the next Prime Minister of Pakistan.

"Whilst he has many serious challenges ahead of him, I wish him success in overcoming them and in providing for the people of Pakistan.

“I will at the earliest opportunity be raising issues that are important to the British-Pakistani and British-Kashmiri population in my constituency, and I hope that in the coming months and years he will use his position to continue to progress the self-determination of the sons and daughters of Kashmir.”

The elections have been marred by violence and allegations of vote-rigging by Mr Khan’s rivals, but in a public address, he said the election has been “the cleanest, fairest election Pakistan has ever had” and vowed to investigate any claims otherwise.

He also promised to hold talks with India to try and reach a resolution to the dispute between the two nations over Kashmir.

In his address, Mr Khan said: “Pakistan should have that kind of humanitarian state, where we take responsibility for our weaker classes.

“The weak are dying of hunger. I will try my best - all of my policies will be made to raise our weaker classes.

“My effort will be that we try our best to raise these people up, that all of our policies be focused on human development. I want the whole country to think like this.

“No country can prosper when there is a small island of rich people, and a sea of poor. I want all of Pakistan to unite.”