INTERNATIONAL 05/08/2023
Imran Khan: Pakistan ex-PM Given Three-Year Jail Sentence
Ousted Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has been given three-year jail sentence over corruption allegations.
A court in Islamabad found him guilty of not declaring money he had earned from selling state gifts. He denies the charges and says he will appeal.
The judge ordered his immediate arrest and the former PM has been taken into custody from his home in Lahore.
Mr Khan was elected in 2018, but was ousted in a no-confidence vote last year.
As the court decision was announced a crowd, which included some prosecuting lawyers, began chanting “Imran Khan is a thief” outside the building.
In May, Mr Khan was arrested for not appearing at court as requested. He was then released, with the arrest declared illegal.
Since then, his party has been under intense pressure from the authorities.
Many senior officials have left and thousands of supporters have been arrested, accused of being involved in the protests that followed Mr Khan’s arrest.