Imran Khan Dubbed “London Society Lion” in UN Files

Newly released documents from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation have revealed that long before he became Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Imran Khan was recognised internationally for his social and political influence. A confidential email from 2013 described Khan as a “London Society Lion,” highlighting him as a prominent figure within London’s elite circles and suggesting he could be leveraged in Western-backed initiatives in Pakistan.

According to Pakistani media outlet The News, the emails released as part of the Epstein files detail a diplomatic effort to engage Khan’s influence in promoting Western-supported health programmes, particularly vaccination campaigns, in Pakistan. These initiatives were considered strategically significant years before Khan assumed any formal government role.

The specific reference to Khan appears in an email dated June 2013, sent by former United Nations official Nasra Hasan to Norwegian diplomat and then-president of the International Peace Institute, Terje Rød-Larsen. In the message, Hasan refers to Khan as the “London Society Lion,” emphasising his prominence within the city’s elite social networks.

The emails primarily discussed how these Western-supported health initiatives could gain traction in Pakistan through influential intermediaries. The United States Department of Justice released the documents on Friday as part of a broader probe into Jeffrey Epstein’s financial and professional networks.

At that time, Khan was an opposition politician and former international cricket star renowned for leading Pakistan to a World Cup victory. He held no government office, but his extensive social connections in Western countries were deemed valuable for sensitive diplomatic matters, particularly polio eradication efforts.

Hasan’s email noted that Khan’s influence could potentially surpass that of then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in facilitating these initiatives. Pakistan’s ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party had recently assumed power in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where polio remained endemic, and vaccination programmes faced multiple obstacles.

The correspondence also followed discussions involving Bill Gates—referred to as “BG” in the emails—and mentioned Afghanistan’s then-president Hamid Karzai.

The Epstein files, released under a 2025 U.S. law mandating the disclosure of all related materials, include nearly three million pages of documents, over 2,000 videos, and approximately 180,000 photographs.

This revelation underscores how Khan’s international reputation and social networks were viewed as instruments of soft diplomacy, well before his political ascent to Pakistan’s premiership.