Imran Khan’s Prison Sentence suspended by High Court

A corruption conviction against Imran Khan has been suspended and his three-year jail term has been overturned.

His lawyers said the Islamabad High Court has also ordered his release on bail. But it is not clear if Mr Khan will walk out of jail on August 29, 2023.

The PTI leader has been in prison since August 5, 2023, on charges of unlawfully selling state gifts during his tenure as Prime Minister from 2018 to 2022.

Due to the conviction, Mr Khan was also barred from contesting elections for the next five years. But the appeals court’s decision means he will be able to contest the upcoming parliamentary elections.

Babar Awan, a senior lawyer representing Imran Khan, said:

“Imran Khan is again entitled to lead his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party after today’s court order.”

Politician Sayed Bukhari wrote on X:

“Arresting him in any other case will cause further damage to our national integrity and repute of judicial system.

“Let the innocent be free!”

Meanwhile, ex-Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif slammed the court order, saying Mr Khan’s conviction was only “suspended” and not “terminated”.

He said: “When everyone knows what the decision will be before it is announced, it should be a matter of concern for the justice system.

“If a clear message is delivered by a higher court, what other choice does a subordinate court have.”

Imran Khan’s legal team had argued that he was convicted without being given the right to defend himself.

Despite the decision, Mr Khan still faces several other allegations, ranging from leaking state secrets and orchestrating violent protests.

Imran Khan has already been arrested on charges of compromising national security.

On August 28, 2023, the Balochistan High Court quashed a sedition case against the former leader.

Prosecutors had failed to obtain the required consent from the federal or provincial government to lodge sedition charges.

Mr Khan denied the charges and insisted that he did not violate any rules.

Murder abetment charges against Mr Khan were also dismissed.

The case relates to the death of a Supreme Court lawyer who was killed in a drive-by shooting in June 2023.

He will face a retrial at a later date.

Mr Khan was ousted from power following a no-confidence vote in parliament in 2022.

It came after he fell out with Pakistan’s military, which was widely viewed as backing him when he first came to power in 2018.

Since his ousting, Mr Khan has been wounded in an assassination attempt but his continued attempts to rally popular support have stirred political turmoil in a country already struggling through one of its worst economic crises.