2023-08-05 08:52:07
According to his party, Pakistan’s opposition leader Imran Khan has been found guilty in a corruption trial. A court in the capital Islamabad sentenced the ex-prime minister to three years in prison, as a party spokesman for the German Press Agency confirmed on Saturday. The 70-year-old former cricket star has been banned from political office for the next five years. Immediately after his conviction, Khan was arrested.
Police officers arrested him at his home in the city of Lahore on Saturday, Khan’s PTI party said. Pakistani television stations reported on the arrest and showed pictures of police columns. The verdict against the ex-prime minister a few months before the parliamentary elections in Pakistan was pronounced in his absence.
In the specific case, the opposition leader was accused of stealing state gifts that he had received during his time as prime minister (2018 to 2022). He is accused of hiding proceeds from the sale of the gifts. These included diamonds, rare watches or a gold-plated AK-47 – gifts from the Gulf States.
In nuclear power Pakistan, a power struggle has been raging for more than a year between the family dynasties that are in government and the ousted ex-prime minister. Khan was overthrown by a vote of no confidence in April 2022 and has since faced numerous charges. Observers see political reasons for this. Khan hoped for a political comeback until the end.
The former prime minister was briefly arrested in May. His followers then stormed military installations. Since then, the 70-year-old has openly criticized the powerful military in numerous interviews.
1691226619
#Pakistani #opposition #leader #Khan #sentenced #SN.at