Pakistan’s jailed former Premier Khan’s party accuses government of forcibly stopping him from contesting polls

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - The party of Pakistan’s jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan accused authorities on Thursday of using unfair tactics to prevent him from contesting the upcoming general elections.

The Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) alleged in a statement that Khan’s lawyer received nomination papers signed by him that later “disappeared” inside the jail where the former premier is currently languishing.

“Pakistan has surpassed Banana Republic under the caretaker regime,” it said.

In a related development, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) rejected Khan’s plea seeking suspension of his conviction in a case that accuses him of hiding details of foreign gifts he had received as prime minister during his nearly four-year stint, according to court records.

A two-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), Justice Aamer Farooq, announced the ruling, which means Khan is disqualified for contesting the Feb. 8 elections.

Khan was sentenced to three years in jail in August in the “Toshakhana case” and subsequently barred from holding public office for five years by the Election Commission.

The IHC suspended his sentence and ordered his release weeks later, however, his conviction remains in place.

The 71-year-old cricketer-turned-politician has been facing a slew of cases since his ouster in a no-confidence vote in April 2021. He has been languishing in a jail near Islamabad since August.​​​​​​​