PM declared ‘Man of the Year’ among world’s 500 influential Muslims

ISLAMABAD (92 News) - Prime Minister (PM)  Imran Khan has been declared ‘Man of the Year 2020’ by The Muslim 500, a Jordanian annual publication which ranks the most influential Muslims across the globe. Published by The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre of Jordan, the 11th issue of The Muslim 500: The World’s 500 Most Influential Muslims 2020,” honored Imran Khan mainly for his quest for lasting peace with India since he assumed power in 2018. PM Imran Khan, renowned clerics Maulana Tariq Jameel and Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani have been named among the influential Muslims. Mufti Taqi Usmani tops the list, followed by Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei second, Mohammed bin Zayed third, Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz fourth, Jordan's King Abdullah fifth, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sixth and Prime Minister Imran Khan 16th on the list. Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was ranked at 24th number in the list. Moreover, the US Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (Democrat, Michigan) has been named "Woman of the Year" by the annual magazine started in 2009. Singapore President Halimah Yacob, famous footballer Mohamed Salah, youngest Nobel Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai were also named among the influential Muslims across the globe. The magazine’s editor wrote that Imran Khan would have been nominated as "Man of the Year" among all prominent Muslim personalities if ‘The Muslim 500’ was print back in 1992 due to his brilliant performance in cricket, resulting into Pakistan winning the Cricket World Cup, ‘a sport I have always admired for its combination of elegance and intense competitive play.’ “I also was touched when Khan launched a successful fund raising 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 the 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.”