Pakistani court suspends Khan’s sentence, orders his release
The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday suspended former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s sentence and ordered his release on bail, the Geo TV broadcaster reported.
In early August, a court sentenced Khan to three years in prison after finding him guilty in a corruption case.
“His dishonesty has been established beyond doubt,” judge Humayun Dilawar wrote in his ruling. “He has been found guilty of corrupt practices by hiding the benefits he accrued from national exchequer willfully and intentionally.”
The court found him guilty of selling and lying about receiving state gifts worth more than 140 million Pakistani rupees ($635,000 or €576,000), during his tenure as prime minister from 2018 to 2022.
The Islamabad court has now set aside that judgement and ordered the release of Khan on bail.
It could be recalled that shortly after judge Dilawar’s verdict, Khan’s lawyer Intazar Hussain had told Reuters that his client was taken from his residence in the eastern city of Lahore for the central jail in Adyala, Rawalpindi.
Khan had urged his supporters “to remain peaceful, steadfast and strong,” in an address that was pre-recorded as he “expected” to be arrested at the time.
Khan is the most prominent challenger to incumbent Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif who has fixed elections for November.
The election could however be postponed to work on a new census, but opponents have accused the PM of avoiding holding elections because of the rising support for Khan in the country.
Khan has consistently denied the criminal charges against him, and in July, predicted that his opponents would imprison him eventually, saying: “sooner or later they will put me in jail”.
He added that he welcomed fresh elections, but wondered if his party would be allowed to contest.
