Jailed Pakistan Ex-PM Imran Khan to Contest General Elections From At Least 3 Constituencies: PTI

Islamabad: Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan, currently serving a jail term, is set to contest the upcoming general elections from at least three constituencies, according to an announcement by his party on Wednesday. The 71-year-old, a former cricketer-turned-politician, was convicted on August 5 in the Toshakhana corruption case filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan. This verdict led to his disqualification from elections for a period of five years. However, the Islamabad High Court subsequently suspended his three-year sentence, though he remains incarcerated in connection with other cases.

“Imran Khan sahib wants to inform that he will be contesting elections from at least three constituencies of Pakistan,” declared Barrister Ali Zafar, Khan’s lawyer, outside Adiala Jail. He expressed hope for an accelerated verdict from the Islamabad High Court on Khan’s appeal against the disqualification, emphasizing the urgency due to the recently released election schedule.

The PTI, meanwhile, rallied its base, prioritizing party members jailed during Khan’s ouster for nomination papers. “Our workers in jail, who have rendered sacrifices for the party, would be 100 percent allotted tickets on a priority basis,” Zafar affirmed.

With Khan’s fate hanging in the balance and the PTI vowing an aggressive campaign, Pakistan’s upcoming elections promise to be a high-stakes affair, watched closely by both domestic and international observers.