Last Saturday, a shocking development in Pakistan’s political scene unfolded when former Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman, Imran Khan, was found guilty in a corruption case. He was arrested following accusations of selling state gifts worth over 154 million PKR, a sentence handed down by a trial court in Islamabad that potentially puts an end to his political career.
This instance of corruption involved the former premier making false declarations of his assets to the Election Commission of Pakistan, leading to a fine of 100,000 PKR and a three-year term in prison. On top of this, Khan was disqualified from holding office for five years under Article 63(1)(h) of Pakistan’s Constitution. The court’s judgement stated that Khan was guilty of corrupt practices and his dishonest activities were proven beyond doubt.
The PTI lawyers, in response to the judgement, have made multiple appeals to reverse the court’s decision. Babar Awan, a member of Khan’s legal team, derided the ruling as a ‘ridiculous verdict by a sham court’ and questioned the fairness of the trial, primarily because it took place in Khan’s absence.
Reactions among Pakistan’s legal community were mixed, with many legal professionals expressing concerns over the manner in which the court proceedings were conducted. This led Supreme Court Advocate Basil Nabi Malik to comment on how the judgement could potentially damage the judiciary’s credibility, comparing it to the Panama judgement that led to the disqualification of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
Shortly after the ruling, the Election Commission of Pakistan issued a notification drawing on the verdict and declaring Khan’s disqualification under the Constitutional provision, as well as under Section 232 of the Elections Act, 2017.
As Khan faces the possibility of an end to his political career, the country is poised for general elections within the constitutional limit of 90 days, despite potential delays due to the release of new census results. This comes following the dissolution of parliament by PM Shehbaz Sharif as his term nears its end. The announcement has faced widespread criticism, with the opposition party accusing the government of deliberate delays to avoid Khan’s participation in the upcoming elections.
Khan’s popularity remains high despite his conviction, but his future hangs in the balance, depending on the outcome of his appeal and the resolution of over 150 pending cases in court. As Khan battles these judicial procedures, his political career may indeed be on the line.
Original reporting for this can be found on JURIST.