The Pakistani government is seeking a ban on the party of former Premier Khan
On Saturday, a ruling against Khan for an illegal marriage was overturned in court. In addition, the Supreme Court granted more parliamentary seats to his party, making the PTI the party with the most seats in the National Assembly. Both decisions were seen as major setbacks for the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
A PTI spokesperson spoke about the government's attempt to ban their party, calling it a "sign of panic." The government has realized that the courts "cannot be threatened or pressured," he declared. The human rights commission in Pakistan spoke of a "massive blow against democratic norms." The attempted party ban was seen as a "desperate political act."
The former cricket star Khan served as the Pakistani prime minister from 2018 to 2022, before being removed through a no-confidence vote.
Just days before the Pakistani parliamentary election in February, Khan was sentenced three times. He claims the cases were orchestrated to prevent his return to power.
All three sentences have been overturned on appeal at least partially. One ten-year prison sentence was overturned in April, and a 14-year prison sentence for corruption in June was suspended, although the judgment still stands.
Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were sentenced to seven years in prison because they were accused of marrying too soon after Bibi's divorce and violating Islamic law. However, the court in Islamabad overturned this sentence over the weekend.
The still popular Khan remains in prison. The PTI announced that a court in eastern Lahore had authorized his arrest because he was accused of inciting unrest in three cases in May 2023.
- The overturning of the former Premier Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi's seven-year prison sentence in Islamabad was a significant ruling from the Supreme Court, given their accusations of marrying too soon and violating Islamic law.
- Despite the Supreme Court's decision to grant more parliamentary seats to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's opponent's party, the PTI, led by former Prime Minister Imran Khan, continues to be a formidable force in Pakistani politics.
- The decision by the Supreme Court to overturn Khan's prison sentence has been met with criticism from certain quarters, with some arguing that it undermines the rule of law in Pakistan.
- Following the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Khan's sentence, the former premier's party, the PTI, has called for the immediate release of their leader, citing the Prohibition of Arrest and Detention of Elected Representatives Bill.
- The recent developments in the legal proceedings against former Prime Minister Imran Khan have raised questions about the independence of the Pakistani judiciary, with many watching closely to see how the case unfolds in the coming months.
