Imran Khan, the former prime minister of Pakistan, Was detained by police on Saturday in the eastern city of Lahore, according to his attorney, after a court gave him a three-year prison sentence for selling state gifts illegally.
A conviction in the case, according to legal experts, might eliminate Khan’s hopes of running in the national elections, which must be held by early November.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the political party of Imran Khan, declared in a statement that they had previously appealed the district court case to the nation’s Supreme Court.
Once the decision was announced, Khan’s residence in Lahore was reportedly surrounded by police, according to local media and a Reuters witness.
Khan has denied doing anything illegal.
The former cricketer-turned-politician, 70, was charged with abusing his position as premier to acquire and dispose of presents acquired during foreign trips and valued at more than 140 million Pakistani rupees (NZ$1,000,000).
Since then, the government has exerted significant pressure on his party, Tehreek-e-Insaf.
Several senior officials have quit, and hundreds of followers who were allegedly participating in the demonstrations that took place after Mr. Khan’s detention have been detain.
The Pakistani army is heavily involve in politics, sometimes taking control through military coups and other times working behind the scenes.
Several analysts think the military played a role in Mr. Khan’s victory in the 2018 election.
He has been one of the army’s most outspoken detractors in opposition.
According to observers, support for the army has decreased.
Imran Khan has been pushing for early elections ever since he was dismiss.
Mr. Khan would be permanently barre from holding public office if convict.
On August 9, Pakistan’s parliament will be dissolve, and a caretaker administration would lead the country until the elections.
Although they should happen by early November according to the constitution, no election date has been set.
A PTI representative for Khan referred to the decision as political and stated that the Supreme Court will hear an appeal against it. Once Khan was detaine in May as part of a number of legal allegations against him, including another corruption case, the highest court granted him release. The former cricket star, 70, says he did nothing wrong.
On Saturday, there was no clear indication that Khan’s followers would demonstrate. Police in Islamabad have increased security, nevertheless, in light of rumours that officials in the nearby Punjab province were preparing to detain PTI members in order to avert protests.
