Imran Khan wins legal victory as jail term on corruption charges suspended

Imran Khan's party and lawyers say he was released on bail but fear he could be re-arrested. Credit: Akhtar Soomro/Reuters

Imran Khan Jail sentence on corruption charges has been suspended, but it is not clear if the former Pakistani prime minister will be immediately released.

A spokesman for Mr Khan's Pakistani Tehreek- i-Insaf (PTI) said that on Tuesday the Islamabad High Court overturned a lower court decision this month to imprison him for three years, a decision that rendered him ineligible to stand in the upcoming elections.

The party and Mr Khan's lawyers said he was released on bail, but they fear the 70-year-old will be rearrested in one of more than 200 cases brought against him since he was removed from power by a parliamentary vote in last year.

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“We filed a separate application asking for an order to prevent the authorities from arresting him in any other case,” Gohar Khan, one of the lawyers, told AFP.

“If the authorities arrest him in any other case, it would be contrary his legal rights.”

Khan has been in prison for three weeks since a judge found him guilty of failing to properly declare gifts he received while in prison.

While awaiting his release, Mr. Khan's legal team said they would head to Attock Prison, a century-old prison located about 60 kilometers (40 miles) west of the capital, Islamabad.

This was previously denied. bail

However, he has previously been denied bail in at least nine cases, including three in anti-terrorism courts and six in Islamabad district courts.

Political commentator Omar Quraishi told Agence France-Presse that «this remains to be seen.» whether the former prime minister will be released, and if so, when.”

Pro-PTI lawyers chanted “Release Imran Khan!” and «Khan, your devotees are countless!» outside of court when the disqualification became known.

The charismatic 70-year-old is Pakistan's most popular politician and claims his ouster and subsequent court cases were orchestrated by the powerful military establishment to deny him a second term.< /p>

Mr Khan was also briefly jailed for bribery. accusations in May, sparking days of civil unrest.

However, since then, his PTI party has been the target of severe repression that has greatly reduced his street power and prompted most of his senior leadership to abandon ship or be locked up.

But human rights organizations allege that authorities have used overly broad anti-terror laws to crack down on PTI, and domestic press has reported pressure to censor or vilify Khan on air.

Parliament dissolved

While Mr. Khan was imprisoned this month, Pakistan's parliament was dissolved at the request of his successor Shehbaz Sharif to pave the way for an interim government to hold elections.

An election date has not been announced.

Mr. n Khan, a former cricket star who came to power in 2018 on a wave of popular support, an anti-corruption manifesto and support for the powerful military establishment.

When he was ousted in April 2022, analysts said it was because he lost the support of the same generals who had given him the keys to power.

He was replaced by the shaky coalition of dynastic parties that historically ruled Pakistan.

But as an opposition politician, he waged an unprecedented campaign against the powerful generals who staged at least three successful coups leading to decades of martial law.