Former leader and wife found guilty of illegally obtaining lucrative plots of land in deal with property tycoon

Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for corruption, another setback for the beleaguered leader who has already spent over 18 months in jail and is facing more than 100 cases.

Khan, who remains the country’s most popular political figure, has maintained that the cases against him are part of a “political witchunt” to keep him out of power. Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) governed from 2018 to 2022 but he was toppled from office after losing the support of the country’s powerful military. He subsequently embarked on a public spat with the army leadership, accusing them of involvement in a plan to assassinate him.

Since his arrest he has faced a mounting number of cases, including murder, terrorism, and breaching national security. Khan was convicted in three cases, including for selling state secrets and illegal marriage, but they were later overturned or suspended last year. However, he has remained in prison.

  • @IndustryStandard
    OPEnglish
    2•4 hours ago

    The US staged a coup in Pakistan to overthrow Imran Khan because he would not send artillery munitions to Ukraine.

    Imran Khan is innocent.

        • @PugJesusEnglish
          0•2 hours ago

          Nothing says coup like trying to imprison Imran Khan on bogus charges like his marriage papers being invalid.

          Is that what happened back in 2022? (PROTIP: it is not)

          Maybe the US tried to dissolve the democratically elected legislature to avoid them voting against their interests?

          Oh, wait, that was what Imran Khan tried to do when the vote began.

          “Imran Khan is mistreated by the current government ran by his spiteful opposition” and “America did not pull a coup in Pakistan” are not mutually exclusive positions.

          • @IndustryStandard
            OPEnglish
            0•1 hour ago

            In the meeting, according to the document, Lu spoke in forthright terms about Washington’s displeasure with Pakistan’s stance in the conflict. The document quotes Lu saying that “people here and in Europe are quite concerned about why Pakistan is taking such an aggressively neutral position (on Ukraine), if such a position is even possible. It does not seem such a neutral stand to us.” Lu added that he had held internal discussions with the U.S. National Security Council and that “it seems quite clear that this is the Prime Minister’s policy.”

            Lu then bluntly raises the issue of a no-confidence vote: “I think if the no-confidence vote against the Prime Minister succeeds, all will be forgiven in Washington because the Russia visit is being looked at as a decision by the Prime Minister,” Lu said, according to the document. “Otherwise,” he continued, “I think it will be tough going ahead.”

            Lu warned that if the situation wasn’t resolved, Pakistan would be marginalized by its Western allies. “I cannot tell how this will be seen by Europe but I suspect their reaction will be similar,” Lu said, adding that Khan could face “isolation” by Europe and the U.S. should he remain in office.

            • @PugJesusEnglish
              1•1 hour ago

              Is that supposed to reinforce the idea that it was a ‘coup’? A diplomat saying that a prime minister’s diplomatic policy will create diplomatic repercussions?

              lmao

    • @[email protected]English
      -2•4 hours ago

      lol…you’re a lying cunt. not one person in the US gives a fuck about Pakistan to do the conspiracy you’re talking about. lol