Rédaction Africa Links 24 with AFP
Published on 2024-01-30 15:23:04
Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan has been sentenced to 10 years in prison less than two weeks before the country is set to vote in an election that his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has been barred from contesting due to a massive crackdown.
Khan, who has been confined to Adiala jail since his arrest in August, has been disqualified from standing in the election due to a previous graft conviction. This, along with multiple court challenges, has been seen as an orchestrated effort to prevent his return to office after his campaign challenging Pakistan’s military kingmakers.
Tuesday’s conviction for leaking classified state documents was handed down to Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi, the former PTI vice-chairman. PTI lawyers claimed they were ousted from the proceedings, denying their leaders fair representation.
Despite being barred from running in the election, Khan has urged the electorate to take revenge for this injustice with their votes on February 8, stating, “Tell them that we are not sheep that can be driven with a stick.”
Critics have described the sentencing as a “murder of justice,” while human rights activists and political analysts believe that the sympathy and support for Khan will only grow stronger among the people as a result.
The PTI’s campaigning efforts have been heavily impacted by a state-imposed crackdown, with most of its activities moving online due to internet blackouts. In addition, the party has been stripped of its cricket bat election symbol, forcing its candidates to run as independents in the upcoming election.
Khan’s return to the political scene has also been overshadowed by the return of Nawaz Sharif, the head of one of the two dominant parties in Pakistan, from self-imposed exile. This has led many analysts to believe that Sharif is the favored candidate of the military in the upcoming election.
The Supreme Court injunction has effectively forced PTI hopefuls to run as independents, and state media has been following strict censorship measures, not even using Khan’s name when reporting his conviction.
The ongoing crackdown has raised concerns among human rights monitors, and with the election just days away, the political landscape in Pakistan remains tense and uncertain.
