Imran Khan arrested after court sentences him to 3 years in jail

Islamabad : Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan has been taken into custody on Saturday following a court's decision to sentence him to three years in prison. The verdict came as a result of a corruption trial, which also led to his disqualification from holding any public office for five years.

Additional Judge Humayun Dilawar from the district and sessions court in Islamabad found Khan, aged 70, guilty of illegally selling state gifts during his tenure as prime minister from 2018 to 2022. The court imposed a fine of Rs 100,000 on him and warned that if he failed to pay the fine, he would serve an additional six months in jail.

The court ruled that Khan had engaged in corrupt practices by deliberately and willfully concealing the benefits he received from the national Exchequer. It was established that he provided false and inaccurate information about the gifts he obtained from the Toshakhana, a department responsible for storing gifts given to rulers and government officials by foreign dignitaries.

The charges under which Khan, a former cricketer turned politician, was convicted fall under Section 174 of the Election Act 2017, resulting in a three-year prison sentence. The case centered on allegations of incorrect declarations of presents from foreign dignitaries and the proceeds from their alleged sale.

As per reports, during his three-and-a-half-year term, Khan received a total of 58 gifts from world leaders, collectively valued at over Rs 140 million. Surprisingly, he chose to keep all these gifts, often acquiring them by paying only a nominal amount or even without any payment at all.

Among the gifts Khan retained were a diamond watch, a pair of cufflinks, a ring, a pen, and several other watches.