Pakistan has banned its former prime minister, Imran Khan, from politics for five years following his arrest over allegedly selling state gifts during his tenure from 2018 to 2022.
The decision was revealed in a statement that was released by the Election Commission of Pakistan on Tuesday. The individual was previously found guilty last week during a corruption trial and subsequently sentenced to three years of imprisonment.
Imran Khan Barred from Pakistani Politics for Five Years
Khan's trial relates to an inquiry that was conducted by the election commission which found him responsible for unlawfully selling state gifts during his time as prime minister. Law enforcement personnel arrested the former prime minister at his home in Lahore after a court's ruling on Saturday and they transported him to the capital of Islamabad.
Despite the accusations against him, Khan has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and his PTI party said over the weekend that they have lodged an appeal in the Supreme Court against the decision regarding the prime minister, as per CNN.
Khan, in a video that was recorded before his arrest over the weekend, asked his supporters to peacefully protest to ensure their "freedom and human rights." He added that he was going through this "struggle" for the future of the country's children.
The 70-year-old former prime minister was ousted during a parliamentary no-confidence vote last year. Since then, he has led a populist campaign against the country's current government that is led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Khan has accused the current administration of colluding with senior military leaders to remove him from office and keep him out of Pakistan's politics.
However, the current Pakistani government has denied that Khan's arrest was politically motivated or that there was an attempt to keep him from participating in this year's elections. The former prime minister's arrest in May in relation to a separate case resulted in violent clashes between his supporters and law enforcement personnel.
Allegedly Selling State Gifts
In a statement, Pakistan's Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Marriyum Aurangzeb, said that Khan has to be held accountable for his deeds in law. She argued that there was nothing political about the situation, saying that it is simply a person who has been proven guilty being arrested, according to BBC.
The alleged state gifts that Khan sold were estimated to have been worth roughly $635,000 and included Rolex watches, a ring, and a pair of cufflinks. Now, the former prime minister's aide, Zulfikar Bukhari, said that they are confident that they would be able to reverse the decision on Khan.
The petition by Khan's legal team allegedly wrote that the conviction of the prime minister was made without lawful authority and was tainted with bias. They argued that Khan did not receive an adequate hearing regarding the case.
The legal team added that the court rejected a list of witnesses for the defense only a day before a verdict was reached. They argued that this was a "gross travesty of justice, and a slap in the face of due process and fair trial," said Aljazeera.