Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan Arrested After Receiving Three-Year Prison Sentence for Illegal Sale of State Gifts

Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan Arrested After Receiving Three-Year Prison Sentence for Illegal Sale of State Gifts

Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, was arrested by police in Lahore on Saturday following a court ruling that sentenced him to three years in prison for unlawfully selling state gifts. The verdict could potentially prevent Khan, a prominent opposition leader, from participating in the upcoming national election expected in November. Legal experts suggest that this guilty verdict could eliminate Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's main rival in the election.
Khan's lawyer, Intezar Panjotha, confirmed the arrest and stated that they would be filing a petition against the decision in the high court. Lahore Police Chief Bilal Siddique Kamiana also confirmed the arrest and revealed that Khan would be transferred to the capital, Islamabad, before being held at Central Adiala Jail in nearby Rawalpindi, as stated in the arrest warrant.

Khan's political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has filed an appeal to the Supreme Court. In a pre-recorded video address released by PTI, Khan denied any wrongdoing and urged his supporters to protest peacefully. He emphasized that he was fighting for the people and the future of the country.

The conviction comes just a day after Pakistan's high court temporarily halted the district court trial. The reason for the trial proceeding despite the high court decision remains unclear.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Khan's deputy and former foreign minister, who will lead the party in Khan's absence, claimed that their leader had been denied a fair trial. Qureshi stated that the party's top decision-making body would meet to discuss future strategies and emphasized the need to fight legally and politically in a peaceful manner, following Khan's directives.

Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb defended Khan's arrest, stating that it followed a thorough investigation and proper legal proceedings in a trial court. She asserted that the arrest was unrelated to the upcoming elections.

According to the court verdict shared by Khan's legal team, he was found guilty of making false statements about acquiring official state gifts. The verdict stated that Khan had intentionally and willfully hidden the benefits he received from the national exchequer. He was accused of providing inaccurate information about gifts obtained from Toshakhana, the state gift repository.

Following the release of the verdict, police surrounded Khan's residence in Lahore, but there were no signs of unrest in the hours after his arrest, unlike a similar incident in May last year. Khan's previous arrest and detention sparked political turmoil and violent clashes between his supporters and the police.

Since Khan's ouster from the premiership in April 2022, he has faced multiple charges. He has accused the army, led by General Asim Munir, of targeting him and his party to prevent his return to power and influence the upcoming elections. However, the army denies these allegations.

Prime Minister Sharif has proposed dissolving parliament on August 9, three days before its term ends, which would pave the way for a general election in November.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Danube Drought Forces Hungary’s Paks Nuclear Plant Into Full Shutdown
Ceuta Death Toll Rises as Spain and Europe Clash Over Border Response
Valued at $109 Million: F-35B Fighter Jet Crashes in Southern California
Record-Low Danube Exposes Probable Mammoth Remains in Bulgaria
US Says It Has Carried Out Heavy Strikes on Iran After Attempted Attacks on Its Forces
The AI User Nightmare: Private Claude Conversations Leaked to the Internet
Over 24 Hours in the Air: Qantas Airbus Completes Record-Breaking Test Flight
Massive Wildfires Ravage Southern Europe: Fatalities in Greece and Evacuations Across France, Spain, and Turkey
Nvidia Reportedly Takes Vast Texas Data-Centre Lease to Underwrite AI Expansion
FIFA’s Private-Investment Plan for World Cup Rights Draws European Revolt
Apple Briefly Crosses Five Trillion Dollar Valuation as Investors Retreat From AI Bets
Fresh Heatwave Threatens to Rekindle France’s Historic Wildfire Crisis
Following OpenAI's Cyberattack: 'Most Companies Still Do Not Understand What Is Coming'
OpenAI Sued After ChatGPT Allegedly Discouraged Emergency Care Before Near-Fatal Embolism
Miliband Sets Climate and International Law at Centre of UK Diplomacy
Czech Central Bank Governor Rejects Early Euro Entry and Rate-Cut Pressure
Trump Readies New Tariffs as Temporary Global Levy Nears Expiry
Vivienne Westwood Casts Cicciolina, 74, in Its New Autumn Campaign
Dejavu: Germany’s Military Expansion Reshapes Europe’s Strategic Balance With France
Morgan Stanley Builds a Wall Street Lead in AI Infrastructure Finance
High Prices Push Coffee Drinkers Toward Whole Beans and Home Brewing
Trump Draws Boos and Podium Scrutiny at Spain’s World Cup Triumph
Brilliant move: Péter Magyar Moves to Nominate Chess Grandmaster Judit Polgár as Hungary’s President
Spain Defeats Argentina in Extra Time to Win Second World Cup
Current AI Seeks to Build an Open Global AI Infrastructure Outside Big Tech Control
Germany’s Economic Malaise Reopens the Sunday Shopping Debate
Proposed U.S.-Saudi Nuclear Pact Could Permit Limited Uranium Enrichment Under International Safeguards
Netherlands Declares Water Shortage Emergency After Drought Pushes Rivers to Historic Lows
Why Kentucky Fried Chicken Became KFC—and Why the False Explanations Persist
Ukrainian Drones Strike Wildberries Warehouses Deep Inside Russia
Reported CIA Mission Helped Clear the UAE’s Path to Advanced US AI Chips
Artificial Intelligence Capital Fuels Markets While Governments and Regulators Face Mounting Strategic Tests
China’s Moonshot’s Kimi K3 Narrows the Gap With Anthropic Through Scale, Openness and Lower Cost
The Ledger Will Not Trust on Faith
Trump Administration Pressures Banks to Restrict Financial Access for Undocumented Immigrants
Passenger Bound for Germany Refused to Sit Beside a Woman on a Plane — Then Slapped a Flight Attendant
Ukraine’s Leadership Rift Spills Into the Streets as Protesters Target Army Chief
Ukrainian Drone Barrage Kills Eight and Strikes Russian Logistics Network
The Ten World Cup Finals That Defined Football History
Smartphones Are Getting More Expensive, Sales Are Collapsing, and Even Apple Admits: "Prices Will Rise"
The Monaco Bombing Has Become a Test of Ukraine’s Intelligence Accountability
Leadership Change and Strategic Rivalry Redraw the Political Map
The AI Race Enters Its Infrastructure Era
Britain Nationalises British Steel to Protect Scunthorpe Production and Strategic Supply
French National Assembly Overrides Senate to Pass Historic Assisted-Dying Legislation
Spanish Prime Minister's Wife Ordered to Stand Trial as Corruption Probes Encircle Governing Party
Zelensky Faces Kyiv Protests Over Ousting of Dynamic Ukrainian Defense Minister
Thomas Tuchel Faces Fierce Backlash After Tactical Retreat Costs England World Cup Final Berth
A Quiet Bastille Day: France Grapples with World Cup Heartbreak and Leftover Fireworks
Spain in Ecstasy: "We Feel Unbeatable, We Taught the Whole World a Lesson"
×