Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan Moved From High Post To High Security Prison After Sentencing

ATTOCK, Pakistan (AP) — Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan woke up Sunday as an inmate in a high-security prison after a court sentenced him to three years in prison for corruption, a development that could end his future in politics.

The court ruled on Saturday that national cricket hero Khan, who was ousted in a vote of no confidence in April 2022, but remains the country’s main opposition figure, had hidden assets after selling state gifts.

The prison sentence could prevent you from participating in politics under a law that prohibits anyone with a criminal conviction from holding or running for public office. He could also lose the chairmanship of the party he founded, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or PTI.

khan was arrested on saturday at his home in the eastern city of Lahore and taken to prison.

Critics say efforts to put him behind bars are politically motivated and have intensified ahead of elections later this year.

They argue that Khan’s popularity and large support base, combined with his ability to mobilize massive crowds, pose a threat to the ruling coalition and its backers in Pakistan’s powerful military, which has been the final arbiter of the country’s politics. since independence from Great Britain in 1947. .

It is the second time this year that Khan has been detained, joining other former Pakistani prime ministers who have been arrested and seen military intervention throughout the country’s political history.

But his current stay at Attock prison is a far cry from his custodial conditions in May, when he was taken to a well-appointed guest house in a police compound in Islamabad on the order of the Supreme Court. He was then allowed visits and meetings with party colleagues.

Attock, in the eastern Punjab province, is known for its harsh conditions and its inmates include convicted militants.

Authorities have further tightened security around the prison, which already has armed guards on watchtowers, erecting barriers and blocking roads to keep people out. They have also instructed locals not to allow the media on their roofs to prevent photos and videos from leaking.

PTI lawyer Shoaib Shaheen told The Associated Press that prison police refused entry to a legal team that went to see Khan. He said the party would file an appeal as there were “many gaps in the verdict.”

In May, Khan’s arrest on corruption charges sparked a wave of violent protests that swept the country. Days later, Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered his release, saying his arrest was illegal.

So far, Khan’s calls for mass protests have failed to gain traction with his supporters, as police made far fewer arrests than in May as most people stayed off the streets.

Hundreds of people gathered on the outskirts of Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani-administered Kashmir, on Sunday to condemn the arrest.

One supporter, Sumera Jarar, accused the government of violating human rights. She said PTI supporters would move forward with Khan and Pakistan “step by step”.

Local party official Mir Atique said: “Imran cannot be removed from people’s hearts, even if you disqualify Khan from the ballot paper or remove or expel all signs of Imran Khan.”

But some of Khan’s closest colleagues defected from his party after violence in May when authorities cracked down on the PTI, leaving him increasingly isolated.

Karachi analyst Tauseef Ahmed Khan, who is not related to the former prime minister, said the situation is difficult for Khan, but it does not necessarily herald the end of his political career.

“It all depends on your courage and patience,” said Khan, the analyst. “If he’s missing both, it’s simple and game over for him. But otherwise, he can become a great leader if he can endure the hardships of prison for a few years.”