Pakistan court grants bail to ex-PM Imran Khan in case related to leak of state secret
Toshakhana case. The bail of the former Prime Minister of Pakistan comes ahead of the Pakistan parliamentary election scheduled to be held on 8 February 2024. Prime Minister Imran Khan was sentenced to three years in prison and a fine of ₹100,000 by Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Humayun Dilawar, after the judge found him guilty of graft in the Toshakhana case.
Imran Khan has been convicted of misusing his position as prime minister to sell state gifts worth more than ₹140 million (USD 490,000) that he received from foreign dignitaries during visits abroad, reported Geo News. In April 2022, Imran Khan was ousted as Prime Minister through a no-confidence motion. On May 9, 2023, former cricketer of Pakistan men's cricket team, Imran Khan was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on charges of corruption.
In 2023, 127 MNAs from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) resigned from the National Assembly. Ever since the ouster of Imran Khan as the Prime Minister through a no-confidence vote in 2022, Pakistan has been facing a political crisis. In August 2023, Anwaar ul Haq Kakar was sworn in as the eighth Caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan.
Following his conviction in the Toshakhana case, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) disqualified PTI founder Imran Khan for five years. The ECP further stated that Imran Khan was disqualified after being found guilty of corrupt practices under Section 167 of the Elections Act, 2017 and his sentencing for three years. On 28 August, the IHC suspended Imran Khan's sentence awarded to him in the Toshakhana case but his conviction and disqualification remained the same until the court decided on the main appeal, according to Geo News.
Read more on livemint.com
