Imran Khan, the former prime minister of Pakistan, has been sentenced to three years in prison and disqualified from politics for five years in a case related to the misuse of state gifts.
What is the Toshakhana case?
Imran Khan, the leader of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party, was ousted from power in April 2022 after losing a no-confidence vote in his leadership. He is now facing criminal charges for allegedly hiding details about the gifts he received from foreign dignitaries while he was the prime minister.
The gifts were stored in the Toshakhana, a repository for presents given to government officials by foreign officials, under the Cabinet Division. According to the rules, such gifts and items must be reported to the Cabinet Division and can only be retained by paying a certain percentage of their value.
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The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) accused Khan of deliberately concealing information about the gifts he kept from the Toshakhana, including both the gifts and the proceeds from selling them. The ECP disqualified Khan on October 21, 2022, for making “false statements and incorrect declaration” under Article 63(1)(p) of the Constitution.
Following this, the ECP took the case to the Islamabad sessions court with a copy of the complaint, to initiate criminal proceedings against Khan for misleading officials about the gifts.
How did the court rule?
On Saturday, August 5, 2023, additional judge Humayun Dilawar of Islamabad sessions court sentenced Khan to three years in prison and imposed a fine of ₹1 lakh (Pakistani rupees) on him. The judge also said that if Khan fails to pay the fine, he could face an additional six months of imprisonment.
The court also declared that Khan’s conviction would result in his disqualification from politics for the next five years, as per Article 63(1)(h) of the Constitution.
Khan was arrested shortly after the verdict, despite his absence during the court proceedings. He was taken to Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, where he will serve his sentence.
What are the implications of the verdict?
The verdict is a major blow to Khan and his party, PTI, which is now in opposition. Khan was once seen as a popular and charismatic leader who promised to bring change and accountability to Pakistan’s politics. He led PTI to victory in the 2018 general elections, ending the dominance of two rival parties, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
However, his tenure as prime minister was marred by economic woes, political instability, and allegations of corruption and incompetence. He faced several challenges from his opponents, including former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who returned to Pakistan from London in November 2022 after being granted bail by a court.
Sharif accused Khan of being a puppet of the military establishment and launched a campaign against him under the banner of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), an alliance of 11 opposition parties. Sharif also claimed that Khan had rigged the 2018 elections with the help of the army and intelligence agencies.
The PDM staged several rallies and protests across the country, demanding Khan’s resignation and fresh elections. The pressure mounted on Khan when some of his allies withdrew their support from his coalition government. In April 2022, Khan lost a crucial vote of confidence in the National Assembly by a margin of 172 to 168 votes.
The verdict also raises questions about the future of Pakistan’s democracy and civil-military relations. Some analysts have argued that Khan’s downfall was orchestrated by the powerful military establishment, which has a history of interfering in Pakistan’s politics and overthrowing civilian governments.
Others have suggested that Khan’s conviction is a sign of judicial independence and accountability in Pakistan, where many politicians have faced corruption charges but escaped punishment due to their influence and connections.
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