PAKISTAN – Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan was arrested at his home in Lahore on Saturday, following a court ruling that found him guilty of graft and sentenced him to three years in jail.
The former international cricket star has been facing a series of court cases on charges he deems politically motivated since his ousting in a vote of no confidence last year.
Khan was not present when he was sentenced on Saturday.
“Judge Humayun Dilawar announced that involvement in corrupt practices has been proven,” reported Pakistan TV.
Shortly after the verdict, police entered Khan’s home in Lahore and arrested him.
“I have just received the information that Imran Khan has been arrested,” said Attaullah Tarar, Special Assistant to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
In May, Khan was also arrested and briefly detained on graft charges in Islamabad, which led to deadly unrest as supporters of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party took to the streets and clashed with the police.
Following his release after three days in custody, PTI has faced a crackdown, with thousands of arrests, reports of intimidation, and alleged muzzling of the press.
The case that resulted in his arrest on Saturday revolves around gifts Khan received and failed to properly declare while he was in office as prime minister.
Imran Khan to appeal verdict
Khan’s legal team announced they would immediately appeal the verdict.
A team member stated, “It’s important to mention there was no chance given to present witnesses, neither was time allotted to round up arguments.”
Imran Khan has long warned that he would be arrested to prevent his participation in upcoming elections scheduled to be held before the end of the year.
Parliament is likely to be dissolved after completing its term in the next two weeks, with national elections scheduled for mid-November or earlier.
Khan gained power in 2018 with widespread public support, an anti-corruption agenda, and backing from the powerful military establishment.
His ousting in April last year was attributed by analysts to losing the support of top generals.
In his campaign for re-election, Khan has been highlighting the behind-the-scenes influence of the top brass, a topic historically regarded as a red line in Pakistan.
