Pakistan’s Imran Khan Arrested, Sentenced To Three Years In Jail (Vide…
On August 4, Pakistani police arrested the country’s former prime minister Imran Khan in the eastern city of Lahore after a trial court sentenced him to three years in prison for illegally selling state gifts.
Khan was accused of misusing his position from 2018 to 2022 to buy and sell gifts in state possession that were received during visits abroad and worth more than 140 million Pakistani rupees [$497,500].
“His dishonesty has been established beyond doubt,” judge Humayun Dilawar wrote in the ruling. “He has been found guilty of corrupt practices by hiding the benefits he accrued from the national exchequer wilfully and intentionally.”
Judge Dilawar said police had been instructed to arrest Khan immediately. Within 15 minutes of the verdict, footage showed a line of police cars and trucks taking him away from his home in Lahore.
The verdict against Khan also includes a 100,000-rupee fine [$355] which, if not paid, could amount to a further six months in jail.
In a pre-recorded statement posted after the verdict, the 70-year-old cricketer-turned-politician urged supporters to fight against the ruling.
“I have only one appeal, don’t sit at home silently,” he said in a video address posted to X, formerly known as Twitter. “I am struggling for you and the country and your children’s future,” he added.
Khan’s lawyer Intezar Panjotha told the Reuters news agency that a petition against the decision in the high court is being filed.
According to Pakistani media, Khan will be sent to Adyala central prison in the city of Rawalpindi, to the south of Islamabad.
Khan was removed from the post of Prime Minister in April 2022 as a result of a vote of no confidence passed by parliament after falling out with Pakistan’s powerful military. Last November, the former primer survived a shooting at a political rally, in what his party called an assassination attempt.
For months Khan had avoided arrest. Last May, he was arrested for not appearing at court as requested. After mass protests by Khan’s supporters across the country, he was released and the arrest declared illegal.
The sentence against Khan will likely lead to unrest in Pakistan as many see it as an attempt by the military to solidify its grip over the country.
MORE ON THIS TOPIC:
The post Pakistan’s Imran Khan Arrested, Sentenced To Three Years In Jail (Video) appeared first on South Front.
