‘Do not sit silently at home’: Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan calls for
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has called for supporters to protest and ‘stand up for their rights’ after he was sentenced to three years in jail for illegally selling state gifts he received while premier.
The 70-year-old cricketer-turned-politician was arrested after police descended on his home in Lahore – Pakistan’s second biggest city. He will now be taken to the capital, Islamabad, before being imprisoned in the central jail in Adyala, Rawalpindi.
‘I have just received the information that Imran Khan has been arrested,’ Attaullah Tarar, Special Assistant to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, told reporters.
After he was taken away by police Saturday, a video statement Khan made before his arrest was posted to his Twitter account with him urging his supporters not to stay silent.
‘My fellow Pakistanis, they will have arrested me and I’ll be in jail by the time this message reaches you. I have just one request and appeal, that you are not to sit silently at home,’ he said.
‘This is a war for justice, for your rights, for your freedom… chains don’t just fall off, they have to be broken. You must continue peaceful protest until you get your rights.’
Police have already been pictured making arrests as protests from Khan’s supporters began almost immediately after his arrest – just months after mass demonstrations took place when he was detained in May.
Legal experts say guilty verdict reached by a district court could end Khan’s chances of participating in national elections that have to be held before early November.
Khan was not present for the hearing at the Islamabad High Court, and the judge ordered his immediate arrest and banned him from politics for five years. It’s the second time the popular opposition leader has been detained this year.
A Pakistani trial court sentenced ousted Prime Minister Imran Khan (pictured) to three years in prison for illegally selling state gifts, local media channels said on Saturday
Supporters of Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan, shout anti-government slogans during a protest outside the press club in Quetta on August 5, 2023
Police personnel arrest a supporter of Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan on Saturday
Police officers stand guard outside the residence of Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan, in Lahore on Saturday
The 70-year-old cricketer-turned-politician was arrested at his home after police descended on his residence in Lahore
Police officers prepare to take position at a road leading to the residence of Imran Khan. He has now been taken to Islamabad
Khan was not present for the hearing at the Islamabad High Court, and the judge ordered his immediate arrest and banned him from politics for five years. Pictured: Officers stand outside Khan’s home
‘Judge Humayun Dilawar announced that involvement in corrupt practices has been proven,’ Pakistan TV said.
Khan is facing over 150 cases brought against him since being ousted in April last year – charges he says are politically motivated. Khan’s legal team said they would be filing an immediate appeal.
‘It’s important to mention there was no chance given to present witnesses, neither was time allotted to round up arguments,’ a member of the team said.
The sentence relates to an inquiry conducted by the election commission, which found Khan guilty of unlawfully selling state gifts during his tenure as prime minister from 2018 to 2022.
Khan – who was ousted after a no-confidence vote in parliament in April 2022 – denies any wrongdoing.
The former Pakistan PM is accused of misusing his premiership to buy and sell gifts in state possession that were received during visits abroad and worth more than 140 million Pakistani rupees.
His dramatic arrest in May – where he was filmed being forcibly removed from court by security officers – sparked nationwide violent demonstrations from supporters of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party in almost all of the country’s major cities.
Hundreds of protesters were arrested after government and military property was attacked and at least eight people died as unrest gripped Pakistan.
In the aftermath of his release following three days in custody, PTI has been targeted by a crackdown with thousands of arrests, reports of intimidation and muzzling of the press.
Among the hundreds of cases brought against him, several involve corruption, terrorism and inciting people to violence over the deadly protests.
His arrest followed months of political crisis and came hours after the powerful military rebuked the former international cricketer for alleging a senior officer had been involved in a plot to kill him, which saw an assassination attempt last year.
Legal experts say a conviction in the case could end Khan’s chances of participating in national elections that have to be held before early November. Pictured: Khan leaves the Supreme Court in Islamabad on July 24
Violence erupted when Khan was arrested in May. Pictured: Police officers detain a supporter of Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan as they protest against his arrest, in Islamabad, Pakistan, on May 9, 2023
Flames rise from the Radio Pakistan premises after it was set on fire during clashes between police and supporters of Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan protesting against his arrest, in Peshawar, Pakistan, on May 9, 2023. He has now been jailed
Khan has long warned he would be arrested to prevent him participating in elections that are due to be held before the end of the year.
Parliament is likely to be dissolved after it completes its term in the next two weeks, with national elections to be held by mid-November or earlier.
Khan rose to power in 2018 on a wave of popular support, an anti-corruption manifesto, and the backing of the powerful military establishment.
When he was ousted in April last year, analysts said it was because he lost the backing of the top generals.
In his campaign for re-election, Khan has highlighted the power the top brass wield behind the scenes – a subject historically considered a red line in Pakistan.
While many analysts believe Khan came to power with the help of the military, the former cricketer has been one of the army’s most vocal critics.
Khan is the seventh former prime minister to be arrested in Pakistan. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was arrested and hanged in 1979. The current prime minister’s brother, Nawaz Sharif, who also served as prime minister, was arrested several times on corruption allegations.