Ex-Pakistani PM Imran Khan’s conviction suspended by Islamabad High Court

By News Desk

A top court has quashed the sedition and corruption charges against former Prime Minister of Pakistan – Imran Khan.

Khan, who was convicted and sent to prison for three years, will no longer serve the sentence. The two-member bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday ordered his release on bail.

The 70-year-old cricketer-turned-politician was convicted on 5 August for the unauthorised sale of gifts he was given by foreign governments and dignitaries during his time as Prime Minister from 2018 to 2022.

Khan is facing more than 100 cases against him since he lost a vote of confidence in the parliament in April 2022. Following his imprisonment, the election commission of Pakistan has prohibited him from contesting elections for five years.

According to reports, he is jailed in the northwestern Attock city, about 88 kms from Islamabad.

The spokesman for Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, Sayed Zulfiqar Bukhari, welcomed the court’s decision and asked for Khan to be released immediately, adding that such incidents should not happen again.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Bukhari said: “We are extremely happy and overjoyed that Khan got the bail and has been ordered to be released. His safety and bringing him back home is our number one priority.”

He added: “Our only concern is to get him home safely and that no misadventure is tried by the authorities outside Attock prison. If something like that happens, it will only further weaken the judicial system and rule of law in the country.”

Babar Awan, a senior lawyer representing Imran Khan, said: “Imran Khan is again entitled to lead his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party after today’s court order.”

On the other hand, Khan’s successor, ex-Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, slammed the court order, saying his conviction was only “suspended” and not “terminated”.

He wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “When everyone knows what the decision will be before it is announced, it should be a matter of concern for the justice system. If a clear message is delivered by a higher court, what other choice does a subordinate court have.”

Imran Khan’s legal representatives contended that he was convicted without being given the opportunity to present his side of the story and defend himself.

On Monday, 28 August, the PTI chief got further relief by a court in Balochistan province which reversed a sedition case against him.

Despite the good news, Khan is still facing various other accusations ranging from divulging confidential state information to masterminding violent protests.

In the previous week, a Lahore antiterrorism court granted permission to the police to detain and question him in relation to the upheaval that ensued after the opposition leader’s brief arrest earlier in May of this year.

The government asserted that the unrest was caused by PTI workers and responded with a forceful crackdown, resulting in the arrest of numerous PTI leaders and followers.

Khan vehemently refuted the accusations on multiple occasions, asserting that the government was attempting to hinder his participation in the upcoming general elections.

According to Al Jazeera, while Pakistan was initially slated to conduct elections by November, the likelihood of holding them this year has diminished due to the election commission’s ongoing task of redrawing constituencies based on the latest census.