Explained: How Imran Khan’s conviction will impact Pakistan’s elections

Imran Khan’s absence has thrown his party into disarray. (document)

Karachi:

PAKISTAN – Pakistan’s former prime minister and cricket star Imran Khan was sentenced to 14 years in prison on Wednesday for illegally selling state gifts, a day after he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for leaking state secrets.

The convictions come just days before national elections scheduled for February 8.

Here are some facts about how these verdicts may affect his political future, his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, and the upcoming elections:

– Imran Khan, 71, has been banned from holding public office for five years after an earlier conviction on corruption charges, keeping him out of next week’s polls.

– Wednesday’s ruling extends Imran Khan’s ban from holding public office to 10 years, meaning he cannot be prime minister again until 2034.

– The convictions also mean Imran Khan, who has been jailed since August, will not be able to come out to campaign for his party’s candidates.

– Imran Khan’s absence has left his party in disarray, with many key aides imprisoned, on the run or abandoning him as he faces a series of legal challenges.

– Imran Khan and many of the candidates his party supports are running in next week’s elections, but in his absence there is no big political figure to lead his party.

– Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf is temporarily led by a little-known lawyer, Gohar Ali Khan, who is also Imran Khan’s legal adviser.

– A court ruling on January 14 stripped Imran Khan’s party of its traditional electoral symbol, the cricket bat, meaning his candidate will contest as an independent.

– Even if a candidate backed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf wins, as independents they are under no obligation to stay with the party and are willing to join other parties – and Imran Khan’s continued imprisonment for the foreseeable future increases the possibility .

– The support of independent candidates who win after the polls is crucial for any party to compete for the seats in parliament needed to form a government.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)