ISLAMABAD – The Islamabad police of Pakistan arrested former prime minister Imran Khan on Saturday at his residence in the eastern city of Lahore after a local court sentenced him to a three-year jail term for hiding his financial assets.
The media wing of Khan’s party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) told Xinhua that the former prime minister was arrested after the court released arrest warrants for Khan, in a case concerning the illegal selling of state gifts .
Earlier in the day, Additional District and Sessions Judge in Islamabad Humayun Dilawar announced a short order to sentence Khan in the Toshakhana case (national gift case) and disqualified him for five years from holding any office.
The case alleges that Khan had deliberately concealed details of the gifts he bought from the Toshaskhana, a repository where presents handed to government officials from foreign officials are kept and then sold to the officials who pay a specific percentage of the actual amount.
The court also announced that the PTI chairman was involved in corrupt practices under Section 174 of the Election Act 2017 and had submitted a bogus affidavit to the Election Commission for his assets.
Vice Chairman of the PTI Shah Mahmood Qureshi told the media that Khan’s legal team is working on filing an appeal in the Islamabad High Court against the decision.
–BERNAMA-XINHUA
