Pakistan Court Orders Ex-Prime Minister to Remain in Jail
The court ruled Wednesday that Khan will have to remain in jail for another 14 days while authorities investigate him on charges of leaking state secrets. The order comes a day after another court suspended Khan’s conviction on a separate charge of selling state gifts in office and allegedly concealing their proceeds. He had been sentenced to three years in prison on August 5 and immediately taken to a prison facility northwest of the capital Islamabad
Wednesday’s ruling is in connection with allegations that an official diplomatic cable, known as a cipher, went missing from his possession while in office.
The 70-year-old Khan is facing a long list of criminal allegations, ranging from terrorism and sedition to corruption and murder. He has denied the allegations, saying the country’s powerful military is behind all the legal challenges to prevent him and his political party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or PTI, from participating in the next general elections.
The cricket star-turned-popular politician has been in a political showdown with the military since a parliamentary vote of no-confidence toppled him and his coalition government last year. The conviction on selling state gifs has disqualified Khan from national politics for five years and ends his chances of contesting Pakistan's next elections, scheduled for later this year, legal experts said, citing election laws.
Khan accuses the then-military leadership of plotting the vote in collusion with his political opponents and the United States, charges Washington and Islamabad denied.
Some information for this report came from Reuters.