Khan appeals his prison sentence in Pakistan and his lawyers apply for bail

Lawyers for former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan filed a request on Tuesday to appeal his three-year prison sentence for corruption charges, which began its enforcement within a small cell in an old prison dating back to the early 20th century.

Authorities arrested the former cricket star over the weekend following his conviction in one of more than 200 cases he faces since being ousted from power in April 2022 via a vote of no confidence.

If the sentence stands, Khan (70 years old) would be barred from running in the upcoming elections later this year.

The former Prime Minister is currently being held in a prison that dates back to the colonial era on the outskirts of the historic city of Attock, situated about 60 kilometers west of Islamabad.

One of Khan's defense lawyers, Gohar Khan, told Agence France-Presse (AFP), "We have filed an appeal... Our request seeks a temporary suspension of the court's verdict and his release on bail."

He indicated that "the court will hear the matter tomorrow, and given the short duration of the sentence, we hope that Khan will be granted conditional release within weeks."

However, another lawyer from Khan's defense team, Mushaal Yousafzai, cautioned that authorities might seek to delay the process.

He stated, "The rule of law is not currently prevailing in Pakistan; we are rushing from one court to another."

A spokesperson for the former Prime Minister affirmed on Monday that Khan's morale remains high despite the harsh conditions of his detention.

Raouf Hassan, the spokesperson, told AFP that Khan is "detained in deplorable conditions unfit for any human being, but his spirits are high." He pointed out that Khan told them, "Tell the people that I will not compromise my principles."

Hassan explained that Khan sleeps on the ground in a cell with room only for a prayer mat, with limited daylight coming in, equipped with a fan but no air conditioning amid the scorching summer heat.

Khan's lawyers were granted authorization to file a bail application and a request to transfer him to a more comfortable cell typically reserved for high-profile individuals.

In a court session that Khan did not attend on Saturday, the judge found him guilty of corruption charges related to gifts he received while in power and sentenced him to three years in prison.

Anyone convicted of a criminal offense is disqualified from running for elections in Pakistan, although many politicians, including current Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and his brother former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, have managed to either overturn or invalidate their convictions and subsequently lead the country.

The parliament is set to dissolve on Wednesday, days before the end of Khan's term, giving the interim government until mid-November to hold elections. Speculation arises about the possibility of postponing elections after the release of the latest population census figures over the past weekend.

Justice Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar told a local television channel that redistricting would need to be done based on the new population count, warning that it might lead to election delays.

He hoped that any postponement would be limited to a period not exceeding "50 to 60 days."

Khan's arrest for three days in May in the same case led to violent clashes, with tens of thousands of his supporters taking to the streets in confrontations with the police.

Following his release, his party was subjected to a security crackdown that included thousands of arrests and reports of intimidation and suppression of journalists.

However, the reactions to his arrest this time are radically different, as limited and scattered protests have been reported, including outside the Supreme Court in Lahore, where dozens of people gathered. Nevertheless, Khan's ability to influence the street has significantly diminished, especially after the arrest of thousands of his supporters as part of the security campaign targeting his party and the "Justice Movement."

Opinion writer Osama Khaliji explained to Agence France-Presse that "the subdued response to his arrest is a result of the harsh crackdown that targeted Justice Movement supporters following his first arrest."

He noted that "the arrest of party activists after Imran Khan's detention in May, along with the hasty enactment of stringent laws, had a horrifying impact on Pakistani citizens."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AFP