Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan at his residence in Lahore, May 18, 2023 (Photo: Reuters)
Pakistani police on Saturday arrested former Prime Minister Imran Khan at his home in the eastern city of Lahore, his lawyer said, after a court sentenced him to three years in prison for illegally selling gifts he received while in office that were government property.
His conviction could end the 70-year-old Khan's chances of running in elections scheduled for November, though his lawyer said they would appeal to the Supreme Court. Khan's party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, said in a statement that it had already filed another appeal to the Supreme Court earlier today. "The people will not agree to this plot and the attempt to take revenge on Khan," the party said.
The conviction came a day after the Supreme Court ordered a temporary suspension of the trial in a district court, and it is unclear why it continued despite the ruling. After the verdict, police began surrounding Khan's home until arresting him this morning. Police said Khan would be transferred to the capital Islamabad.
In a statement posted on Khan's Twitter account and recorded before his arrest, he said his arrest was "expected." He told his supporters that he owed "only to Allah" and called on them not to sit at home, but to demonstrate peacefully "until their rights are restored to you." The government has denied involvement in the legal proceedings against him.
Khan, a former cricket star who was ousted from office last year by parliament, was arrested in May and released by the Supreme Court. His arrest led to days of violent clashes between his supporters and security forces, which have considerable influence on the country's politics.
He was convicted on the basis of an investigation by Pakistan's electoral commission, which found Khan guilty of selling state gifts during his term as prime minister between 2018 and 2022. According to the investigation, the gifts he received during his visits abroad were worth more than 140 million Pakistani rupees ($635,300).
According to government officials, among the gifts were luxury watches he received from royalty, six of them from the luxury brand Rolex, with the most expensive being $9,<>. In addition, perfumes, jewelry with diamonds and crockery kits were found on the gift list.
Khan denies the allegations and alleges persecution by his successor, Shahbaz Sharif and security forces. Sharif has replaced Khan since his ouster by parliament in April last year. He proposed dissolving parliament on August <>, three days before the end of the session, so that general elections could be held in November.
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