• Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, has been sentenced to three years in jail on charges of corruption.
• The sentence and arrest potentially bars Khan from contesting the upcoming election.
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has been arrested on allegations of corruption and is being held at an undisclosed location. Khan was arrested from Zaman Park, his Lahore residence, after the Islamabad court announced his sentencing.
Lahore Police Chief Bilal Siddique Kamiana confirmed the arrest and informed Reuters that Khan was being moved to the capital, Islamabad. According to the arrest warrant, Khan will subsequently be detained at Central Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, which is located close to the capital.
Khan has denied any wrongdoing and in a pre-recorded statement released following his arrest, stated that the arrest was expected and urged his supporters to protest peacefully: “You have to protest peacefully until you don’t get your rights. My arrest was expected and I recorded this message before my arrest… I want my party workers to remain peaceful, steadfast and strong.”
Imran Khan’s Arrest
Khan has been found guilty in the ‘Tosha khana Case’ for not declaring money earned from selling gifts which he received during his tenure in office. He is accused of selling these official gifts worth almost £500,000.
During the pronouncement of the verdict, Judge Humayun Dilawar confirmed that Imran Khan has been found guilty of mis-declaring his assets. “Imran Khan deliberately submitted fake details (of Tosha khana gifts) to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and is found guilty of corrupt practices,” the judge said.
Khan’s lawyer, Intezar Panjotha, said that they will be contesting the court decision and told Reuters that, “We are filing a petition against the decision in high court.”
Lead up to the election
If convicted in the case, the former Pakistani prime minister’s aspirations to participate in the national elections, scheduled before early November, could be jeopardized.
Khan is facing over 100 cases filed against him since his removal, which he claims are politically motivated charges. The current charges his supporters believe are also politically motivated in an attempt to prevent Khan from participating in the upcoming elections.
In a broadcast statement, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb asserted that Khan’s arrest was the result of a thorough investigation and proper legal proceedings in a trial court. She emphasized that the arrest was not connected to the forthcoming elections.
