29th August, 2023
The Islamabad High Court took action on Tuesday by suspending the sentence of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and granting bail, as reported by Geo TV.
In early August, a court handed Khan a three-year prison sentence after determining his guilt in a corruption case.
Judge Humayun Dilawar, in his ruling in August, was unequivocal about Khan’s lack of integrity.
“The certainty of his dishonesty is undeniable,” Judge Dilawar penned in his ruling, underlining that Khan had been found culpable of engaging in corrupt activities by intentionally and willfully concealing the financial advantages he had gained from the national treasury.
During his term as prime minister from 2018 to 2022, the court found Khan guilty of both selling and deceitfully withholding information about receiving state gifts that amounted to over 140 million Pakistani rupees ($635,000, €576,000).
Imran Khan’s lawyer, Intazar Hussain, confirmed that Khan had been apprehended and taken into custody from his residence in Lahore. Subsequently, Khan was confined to Adyala Central Jail in Rawalpindi.
In the aftermath of his detention, Khan addressed his supporters through a pre-recorded message, urging them to maintain their peaceful, resolute, and unwavering stance, as he had foreseen his arrest.
This conviction had raised concerns about Khan’s eligibility to participate in the upcoming national elections, slated for no later than November.
Khan is recognised as the most prominent rival to the current Pakistani Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif.
The potential delay of the election was proposed due to ongoing work on a new census, although this scenario seemed improbable. Accusations have been made against Sharif for attempting to extend the tenure of his interim government to counter Khan’s growing support.
Khan has vehemently refuted the criminal allegations against him.
In July, he predicted his eventual imprisonment, stating, “Sooner or later, they will put me in jail.” Despite this, he expressed his readiness for new elections while pondering the eligibility of his party to participate in them.
Reuters/NAN