A two-judge panel from the Islamabad High Court has temporarily halted the recent conviction of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on corruption charges.
Khan had been serving a three-year prison sentence since August 5 following allegations of unlawfully selling state gifts during his tenure as prime minister from 2018 to 2022.
In addition to the conviction, the former cricketer-turned-politician was barred from participating in elections for five years by the country’s election commission.
Imran Khan, who has encountered over 100 legal cases since his removal via a no-confidence vote in April 2022, is presently detained in Attock, a city located in the northwest of Pakistan.
A division bench led by Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Aamir Farooq, along with Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, has rendered a verdict suspending the sentence of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan. The verdict comes in response to Khan’s appeal against his three-year prison sentence in the Toshakhana corruption case, where he was accused of benefiting from the sale of valuable state gifts during his tenure in power.
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“Accepting our application, the sentence has been suspended,” announced Imran Khan’s lawyer Naeem Panjutha through a post on the messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
The cricketer-turned-politician had been arrested by Punjab police from his residence in Lahore following his conviction by an Islamabad trial court.
Earlier, the Supreme Court, having reviewed multiple petitions challenging the Toshakhana case, noted that there were “deficiencies” in the judgment issued by the sessions court.
The Toshakhana case was initially filed in 2022 by lawmakers from the ruling party with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). The case alleged that Khan had concealed the proceeds from the sale of state gifts. As per Toshakhana rules, individuals falling under its purview are required to report gifts, presents, and similar items received to the Cabinet Division.
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