Imran Khan is currently imprisoned at the notorious Attock Jail, the historic jail which has seen many prominent political prisoners including Nawaz Sharif. He has been handed a three-year jail sentence after a shoddy trial and barred from politics for five years, threatening his political career.
His lawyers and party says Imran Khan was not given a fair trial and the case is politically motivated. The party had lodged an appeal in higher courts against the decision. The murky politics of Pakistan has a history of using the court to jail political leaders. Imran Khan is the seventh prime minister to be arrested in Pakistan.
The conviction all but ends hopes Imran Khan may have of running in the political elections. He is also expected to be removed as PTI Chairman as anyone convicted of a criminal offence is disqualified. The parliament is set to be dissolved within days. General elections are due by mid-November but there is speculation that polls may be delayed after the census results were released.
If the appeal is unsuccessful, the court ruling would only allow Imran Khan to return to politics after five years. This is just one of the nearly 180 cases that he is currently facing in the courts, which includes charges of corruption, terrorism, sedition and attempted murder. Imran Khan alleges that cases are to prevent him from contesting elections.
It cannot be denied that Imran Khan’s popularity has soared ever since he was removed from power. The party faced a crackdown after the violent protest on May 9. Efforts to put Imran Khan behind bars stepped up in advance of the elections. His popularity and large support base, with the ability to mobilize massive crowds, pose a threat to the coalition government,
The Supreme Court will be the last resort to suspend Imran Khan’s conviction. This can stoke another controversy before the Chief Justice also steps down next month. Imran Khan’s release in May on the orders of the apex court placed it on a collision course with the government. While the court may suspend the conviction, the ECP can ultimately disqualify from politics.
So it seems Imran may stay in jail. He has not been complaining and will certainly not cut deals. But there will be huge questions on the elections without the active participation of the former prime minister. Imran Khan may be out of the political arena but this is definitely not the last we have seen of him.
