Islamabad, Pakistan – Since his removing from energy final yr, former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has been slapped with dozens of expenses, together with some during which he face arrest,
In an interview with Al Jazeera on Thursday, Khan mentioned not less than 85 circumstances have been filed towards him throughout the nation. “Each different day some kind of case comes up,” he mentioned.
The circumstances towards the 70-year-old cricketer-turned-politician embrace expenses of corruption, terrorism, contempt of courts, rioting and even blasphemy.
This is a lowdown on the primary expenses towards Khan:
Corruption
The rapid authorized problem Khan’s face considerations the items he obtained from overseas international locations when he served as prime minister between August 2018 and April 2022.
Prosecutors allege Khan bought these items and hid his wealth in monetary declarations submitted earlier than the election fee.
On March 7, the Excessive Court docket in Islamabad issued an arrest warrant towards him within the case. The previous premier evaded arrest and as a substitute filed a petition in the identical courtroom requesting the cancellation of the warrant.
The courtroom then requested Khan to look earlier than it on March 13. The opposition politician, who had been dodging courtroom appearances citing threats to his life, didn’t present up.
A livid courtroom then issued a non-bailable warrant towards Khan, triggering violence in Lahore for 2 days as police, of their try and arrest him, clashed with tons of of the politician’s supporters exterior his dwelling.
A trial courtroom in Islamabad on Thursday rejected a petition by Khan to droop the warrant for him to look in courtroom. The order will increase the chance of one other police try and arrest him.
The Islamabad Excessive Court docket had earlier given Khan a deadline of March 18 to make an look.
On Thursday, he instructed Al Jazeera he would attend. “I’m showing in courtroom on the 18th,” he mentioned, calling the police operation to arrest him 4 days earlier than the deadline “illegal”.
Khan additionally dismissed allegations about promoting the state items he obtained. “Let me make clear this allegation about state items… The whole lot I’ve completed is lawful,” he mentioned.
“Terrorism”
Khan additionally faces “terrorism” expenses over a speech he made throughout one of many many rallies he has been holding since shedding energy to demand rapid nationwide elections.
Addressing his supporters in Islamabad in August final yr, Khan made some remarks towards his political opponents, and police and judicial officers. In his speech, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) get together chief named a feminine decide who had ordered the arrest of one in all his shut aides.
The assertion towards the decide led to a “terrorism” cost towards Khan. If convicted, he even faces disqualification from contesting elections or holding public workplace in future – a setback he can not afford as he seeks to return to energy in nationwide elections scheduled for later this yr.
If Khan is arrested, the PTI has threatened mass protests, compounding the difficulties for a authorities already battling an financial disaster.
Rioting
Following clashes between Khan’s supporters and the safety forces earlier this week, police in Lahore filed a number of legal expenses towards him.
The primary info report, additionally known as FIR, reveals Khan has been accused of rioting, try and homicide, abetment of violence and legal conspiracy underneath the nation’s anti-terrorism regulation.
Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorism Act, handed in 1997, carries a most sentence of life in jail and even capital punishment.
Comparable expenses have been additionally filed towards Khan in October final yr after his get together employees protested exterior the workplace of the Election Fee of Pakistan (ECP).
The demonstration was in response to the ECP’s resolution to disqualify Khan from attending parliament for periods over the state items case.
‘Blasphemy’
In Might final yr, Khan together with greater than 100 others, additionally confronted allegations of blasphemy, a delicate topic InPakistan.
The costs have been framed after his supporters allegedly heckled federal ministers throughout their official go to to Saudi Arabia. The ministers have been a part of a delegation led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif – his first overseas journey since succeeding Khan.
Movies on social media confirmed individuals chanting “traitors” and “thieves” as Sharif’s delegation visited the holy mosque in Medina.
Saudi authorities arrested a number of Pakistani nationals following the incident.
Nonetheless, the Islamabad Excessive Court docket later ordered Sharif’s authorities to take away the blasphemy expenses towards Khan since he was not in Saudi Arabia on the time of the incident.
