Former Pakistani PM Imran Khan’s Corruption Conviction Suspended

Pakistani Court Suspends Former PM Imran Khan’s Conviction

ISLAMABAD, Aug 29 (Reuters) – A Pakistani court on Tuesday suspended former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s recent conviction on corruption charges, his lawyer Naeem Panjutha said, but it will not lead to his release as a judge has ordered his detention in another case.

Khan’s Imprisonment and Conviction

• Khan was imprisoned on Aug.5 after being sentenced to three years jail for unlawfully selling state gifts during his tenure as prime minister from 2018 to 2022.
• As a result of the conviction, and with a national election expected in coming months, Pakistan’s Election Commission also barred Khan from contesting elections for five years.

Suspension of Sentence

“The sentence has been suspended,” Panjutha said on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter, adding, “God be praised.”

• Khan’s legal team lodged the appeal against his conviction on the grounds that he was convicted without being given the right to defend himself.
• The court also ordered Khan’s release on bail, another one of his lawyers, Shoaib Shaheen, told reporters outside the court.
• But he will not be freed as he has been detained in at least one other case on charges of leaking state secrets.

Detention in Another Case

A special court in Islamabad has ordered the jail authorities to keep Khan in judicial custody and present him before the court on Wednesday, according to an undated order seen by Reuters.

• Khan is charged with making public the contents of a confidential cable sent by Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States and using it for political gain.
• Khan’s top aide, former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, has already been arrested in the same case.

Allegations and Denials

Khan alleges that the cable proves that his removal was at the behest of the United States, which he said pressed Pakistan’s military to topple his government because he had visited Russia shortly before its attack on Ukraine.

Both the United States and the Pakistani military have denied that.

Impact on Elections

It is unclear how the ban on his contesting elections will be affected with the suspension of his sentence.

National elections are due later this year, but they are likely to be delayed several months.

Conclusion

The suspension of Khan’s corruption conviction marks a win for him, coming a day after the Balochistan High Court dismissed sedition charges against him.

Reported by Asif Shahzad; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore

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About the Author

Asif Shahzad is an accomplished media professional, with over two decades of experience. He primarily reports out of Pakistan, Afghanistan regions, with a great interest and an extensive knowledge of Asia. He also reports on politics, economy, finance, business, commodities, Islamist militancy, human rights.