A convoy of dozen Pakistan police vehicles sped through the streets of Lahore, home of the now-imprisoned former prime minister of Pakistan Imran Khan, as they took the prominent opposition leader to prison on Saturday after a court convicted him in an asset concealment case.
This is the second time this year Mr Khan has been detained in just one of more than 150 legal cases slapped on him since his ouster from the top office last year.
He has been charged with illegally selling state gifts worth more than 140m Pakistani rupees ($635,000) during his tenure from 2018 to 2022.
The three-year-long prison sentence could keep Mr Khan away from his political protests, high-voltage rallies and a powerful bid to make a comeback as the country’s prime minister again as the law deems people with criminal convictions ineligible from holding or running for public office.
Mr Khan is named in more than 150 legal cases, including several on charges of corruption, terrorism and inciting people to violence over deadly protests in May.
The violent protests saw Mr Khan’s ardent supporters attack government and military property across the country, resulting in him getting named in dozens of cases across the country within a short span.
He is facing a multitude of charges in different institutions and courts since his removal for graft, murder, sedition and corruption, including Saturday’s conviction by a trial court.
Last month, the interior minister in the current administration of Shahbaz Sharif had warned that the authorities were going to open criminal proceedings against Mr Khan on charges of exposing official secrets related to diplomatic communication between the US and Pakistan.
Zulfiqar Ali Bukhari, former cabinet member and Mr Khan’s advisor told the Independent: “Imran Khan’s arrest has been on the cards for a few weeks. It was obvious that they are trying to eliminate him from the political landscape of Pakistan. But what is not being understood is that the entire country is behind him.”
However, Mr Khan is Pakistan’s leading opposition figure and has support from his followers despite his ouster.
His party spokesperson said that Mr Khan’s trial in the illegal sale of government gifts is the “worst in history and tantamount to the murder of justice”.
While this temporarily halts Mr Khan’s political pursuit to return to power, his party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, or PTI, said it will challenge the decision in a superior court.
Shah Mehmood Qureshi, the vice chairman of PTI will lead the party in Mr Khan’s absence.
The more than 150 cases will also keep Mr Khan from smoothly entering back into the political ecosystem as he continues to challenge his rivals in the current administration and the Pakistan military.
Even if the apex court suspends the conviction, the ultimate power to dictate Mr Khan’s political eligibility rests with the country’s election body which can disqualify him from politics.
Rife with a history of military takeovers, political upheaval and social unrest, Pakistan has seen its share of top figures being arrested over the years with interventions from a dominant military force, making Mr Khan the seventh ex-PM to be arrested in Pakistan.
The current turmoil comes as the already embattled country struggles with a dire economic situation, a spike in militancy, and the impact of last year’s catastrophic floods, compounded by severe climate crisis events this year as well.
Mr Khan’s supporters are expected to take over the streets across Pakistan after Saturday’s verdict, throwing the nation into a volatile atmosphere again as they are determined to see him returned to power. Mr Bukhari, however, added that “fear has been spread all over”.
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