Islamabad, Pakistan – Since his removal from power last year, former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has been slapped with dozens of charges, some in which he risk of being arrested.
In an interview with Al Jazeera on Thursday, Khan said at least 85 complaints have been filed against him across the country. “Every couple of days some kind of case comes up,” he said.
The cases against the septuagenarian cricketer turned politician include charges of corruption, terrorism, contempt of court, rioting and even blasphemy.
Here is an overview of the main charges against Khan:
Corruption
THE immediate legal challenge Khan is concerned about the gifts he received from foreign countries when he served as prime minister between August 2018 and April 2022.
Prosecutors allege Khan sold those gifts and hid his wealth in financial statements submitted to the election commission.
On March 7, the Islamabad High Court issued an arrest warrant against him in this case. The former prime minister escaped arrest and instead filed a motion with the same court seeking the quashing of the warrant.
The court then asked Khan to appear before it on March 13. The opposition politician, who had avoided court appearances citing death threats, did not show up.
A furious court then issued a non-releasable warrant for Khan, sparking violence in Lahore for two days as police, in their bid to arrest him, clashed with hundreds of the politician’s supporters outside his home.
A magistrate’s court in Islamabad on Thursday rejected a motion by Khan to suspend the court appearance warrant. The order increases the likelihood of another police attempt to arrest him.
The Islamabad High Court had earlier given Khan a March 18 deadline to appear.
On Thursday, he told Al Jazeera he would attend. “I am appearing in court on the 18th,” he said, calling the police operation to arrest him four days before the “illegal” deadline.
Khan also denied allegations about the sale of state gifts he had received. “Let me clear this allegation about state gifts… Everything I’ve done is legal,” he said.
“Terrorism”
Khan also faces “terrorism” charges for a speech he gave at one of several rallies he has held since losing power to demand immediate national elections.
Speaking to his supporters in Islamabad in August last year, Khan made some remarks against his political opponents and police and justice officials. In his speech, the leader of the Pakistani party Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) named a woman judge who had ordered the arrest of one of his close associates.
The statement against the judge led to a “terrorism” charge against Khan. If found guilty, he may even face disqualification from running for office or holding public office in the future – a setback he cannot afford as he seeks to return to power in the election. Nationals scheduled for later this year.
If Khan is arrested, the PTI has threatened mass protests, adding to the difficulties of a government already struggling with an economic crisis.
Riot
Following clashes between Khan’s supporters and security forces earlier this week, Lahore police have filed several criminal charges against him.
The First Information Report, also called FIR, shows Khan has been charged with rioting, attempted murder, inciting violence and criminal conspiracy under the country’s anti-terrorism law.
Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorism Act, passed in 1997, carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and even the death penalty.
Similar charges were also leveled against Khan in October last year after his party activists protested outside the office of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
The protest was in reaction to the ECP’s decision to disqualify Khan from attending parliament for sessions on the state gifts case.
Khan has also been charged with at least 17 cases at various police stations in Islamabad after a “long march” he led in May last year to protest his ousting from power.
Almost all of the cases included charges of inciting violence, rioting, damaging public property and criminal intimidation, among others.
Khan was released on bail before his arrest in any case.
