Asia

Asia

Imran Khan barred from running for public office for five years by Pakistan election commission

Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan

21 October 2022 15:07 (UTC +04:00)

Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan will be disqualified from holding political office for five years, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) recommended on Friday, a move likely to further inflame political tensions in the country, APA reports citing ABC news.

While reading out the recommendation, ECP chief Sikandar Sultan Raja stated that Khan was disqualified for being involved in “corrupt practices.”

The commission said its decision was based on the grounds that Khan had “made false statements” regarding the declaration of the sale of gifts sent to him by the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Dubai while in office — an offense that is illegal under the country’s constitution.

There had been a heavy police presence outside the election commission’s office in the capital Islamabad on Friday, in anticipation of protests by Khan’s supporters. Paramilitary troops have been deployed across the city and the Red Zone, which encases major government buildings, including the election commission, has been mostly sealed off to traffic.

At a press conference right after the announcement by the ECP, leaders from Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaf (PTI), have said that they will take the matter to the Islamabad High Court, claiming that the ECP’s decision was “biased.”

PTI leaded Fawad Chaudhry said Friday this was the “beginning of a revolution” and called for supporters to “come out of their homes and take to the streets to uphold the constitution.”