Pakistan: Imran Khan barred from politics for five years

 

Pakistan: Imran Khan barred from politics for five years

Imran Khan, the nation's former prime minister, has been prohibited from entering public office for five years by the election commission.

The judgment was made public by the Pakistani Election Commission three days after Mr. Khan received his three-year jail term for corruption.

 

Following Tuesday's announcement, Mr. Khan will also lose his position as an MP.

The Pakistani government disputes his assertion that the accusations are partisan in nature.

Before the decision, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Pakistan's minister of information and television, told the BBC: "You have to be held legally liable for your actions. Politics have nothing to do with this. A person must be arrested if their guilt has been established by the court.

 

After a disagreement with the country's strong military, Mr. Khan, 70, was forced out of office in a no-confidence vote last year. He had been elected as Pakistan's leader in 2018.

 

On Saturday, a jury found him guilty on charges that he misdeclared information about gifts from foreign dignitaries and the proceeds of their suspected sale.

 

Rolex watches, a ring, and a set of cufflinks were among the presents, which were said to be valued at about 140 million Pakistani rupees ($635,000; £500,000).

 

According to local media, Mr. Khan's five-year ban from competing in elections was in accordance with that guilty verdict.

According to Pakistani law, a person who has been convicted is prohibited from running for public office for a predetermined amount of time.

The guilty judgment has been contested by his legal team, and the Islamabad High Court will hear the case on Wednesday.

Currently, the former prime minister is detained in a jail outside of Islamabad.