A court in the federal capital on Saturday convicted PTI Chairman and former Prime Minister Imran Khan in Toshakhana case, sentencing him to three years in prison and imposing a fine of one hundred thousand rupees. Soon after the verdict, the police arrested Mr Khan.
While the verdict reverberated across political circles, it was hardly unexpected and had been widely anticipated due to glaring evidence of misdeclaration. The district and session court judge in his ruling stated that the PTI Chairman has been found guilty of corrupt practices by hiding the benefits he accrued from national exchequer wilfully and intentionally, adding that he cheated while providing information of gifts he obtained from Toshakhana which later proved to be false and inaccurate. Though legal recourse is available for the PTI Chairman to challenge this decision and seek reprieve, yet if the verdict stays its implications are profound. Technically he stands disqualified for holding any public office for five years under Article 63(1)(h) of the Constitution. The law states: “A person shall be disqualified from being elected or chosen as, and from being, a member of Parliament if he has been, on conviction for any offence involving moral turpitude, sentenced to imprisonment for a term of not less than two years, unless a period of five years has elapsed since his release.”
Curiously, rather than addressing the Toshakhana case on its merits, the focus of Imran Khan’s legal team seemed fixated on casting aspersions on Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the presiding judge. Unlike previous instances, this time the aftermath lacked street protests and public backlash witnessed during his earlier arrest three months ago. Despite calls from PTI media cell for public demonstrations, there was a noticeable absence of public outcry. It would not be wrong to say that the very tone and tenure of the PTI Chairman is responsible for landing him in trouble. In fact more difficult time is awaiting him as cases such as that of Al-Qadir Trust and May 9 violent incidents are yet to be decided. The subsequent legal journey for Imran Khan holds profound implications for his political career. Indeed the law should take its course in these cases and we expect that due process will also be followed, it is equally vital that these legal actions are not perceived as orchestrated efforts to exclude a political figure from the arena.
