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Imran Khan, the former international cricket star and ex-prime minister of Pakistan, is facing three sentencing in one week and a 10-year ban from politics, officially excluding him from the upcoming election. Khan fell out with the military establishment that had nurtured his rise and was ousted from power in April 2022.
Since then, he has fought nearly 200 court cases on various charges, including treason, corruption, and breaking Islamic law. His party believes these charges are an attempt by the establishment to assassinate his character and contain his popularity. Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, was also convicted of graft and failing to adhere to “iddat”, a waiting period after a divorce before remarrying.
Although imprisoned and with his party severely hampered, Khan’s political career may not be over. He remains wildly popular, and history has shown that politicians in Pakistan can have their prison sentences overturned when they regain favor.
However, the fate of his party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), is uncertain without Khan at the helm. The performance of PTI candidates in the upcoming election, who are standing as independents after the party was stripped of its symbol, could indicate how long Khan will remain in jail.
During his tenure as prime minister, Khan aimed to transform Pakistan into a welfare state modeled on the Islamic golden age. However, he made little progress in improving the country’s financial situation, with inflation, debt, and a weak currency undermining economic reform. Khan also targeted his political opponents, resulting in many prominent leaders from other parties being jailed for corruption.
Khan’s fall-out with the military was a significant blow to his premiership. As the country’s kingmakers, the military controls the rise and fall of governments in Pakistan. Khan had a reputation as a playboy before entering politics. He gained popularity through his charity work and gradually built up his party, eventually winning a majority in the 2018 elections.
Despite facing numerous challenges and setbacks, Khan remains determined and compares his political battles to cricket matches, vowing to fight till the end.
However, observers believe that the flawed election and Khan’s exclusion from the political process will have a significant impact on the future of Pakistani politics.