Imran Khan’s Graft Conviction Suspended by Pakistani Court
In a significant turn of events, a Pakistani court has provided former Prime Minister Imran Khan with a temporary reprieve. The Islamabad High Court granted Khan an appeal against his graft conviction and suspended his 14-year jail sentence. This development comes as a welcome relief for Khan’s party, which emerged victorious in most constituencies during the national polls in February.
The legal woes for Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi escalated just before the Feb. 8 elections when they were both sentenced to 14 years in prison. The charges stemmed from allegations of unlawfully selling state gifts, a decision handed down by an anti-graft court. Despite the suspension of this particular sentence, Khan faces incarceration from multiple other sentences, which also bar him from public office for a decade.
Barrister Ali Zafar, Khan’s lawyer, informed the press that the graft sentence would be on hold until the court reconvenes post-Eid holidays to deliberate on the main petition. Zafar confidently stated, “No evidence backs up this conviction,” explaining the court’s decision to suspend the sentence upon the first hearing of the appeal.
The controversy centers around the “Toshakhana”, a state treasury from which Khan and his wife are accused of illegally selling gifts valued over 140 million rupees ($500,000). These items included luxury watches and diamond jewelry, with one watch alone appraised at 85 million rupees ($304,000).
Previously in August, Khan received a three-year prison sentence for a similar charge from another court, which was also suspended on appeal. Khan and his political party maintain that the legal actions against him are politically motivated fabrications aimed at sidelining him from politics. They allege that these charges are orchestrated by the military, which has historically wielded considerable influence over Pakistan’s political landscape. The army has refuted these claims.
As the country with a population of 241 million continues to navigate its complex political dynamics, Khan’s legal battles underscore the enduring tension between civilian governance and military influence in Pakistan’s history.