Saturday, a Pakistani court sentenced former prime minister Imran Khan to three years in prison for unlawfully selling state gifts, also known as the Toshakhana corruption case, and banned him from politics for five years.
According to legal experts, a conviction in this case could eliminate Khan’s prospects of running in the national elections that must be held by early November.
Pakistan Television reported, “Judge Humayun Dilawar announced that evidence of corruption has been established.” Khan was not present for the hearing, and the judge issued an arrest warrant for him.
Dawn reported that the court fined the Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Rs100,000. Khan was indicted on May 10 after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) submitted a criminal complaint against him for concealing information about Toshakhana gifts.
During the Saturday hearing, the additional district and sessions judge Dilawar ruled that the charges against the former prime minister were proved.
“Imran Khan knowingly submitted false information to the Election Commission of Pakistan and has been found guilty of corrupt practices,” Dawn reported the judge as saying, as he sentenced the PTI leader to three years in prison under Section 174 of the Election Act.
Dilawar also ordered that a copy of the order be sent to the superintendent of police in Islamabad for the execution of court orders.
