The decision taken Friday by the country’s electoral commission follows revelations on diplomatic gifts received and not declared by Mr. Khan when he was in power. However, it benefits from strong popular support.
Le Monde with AFP
A lack of transparency will have earned him his eviction of power and ineligibility. The former Pakistani-Parte Prime Minister Imran Khan was indeed prohibited, Friday, October 21, to present himself to any election for five years, after decision of the country’s electoral commission.
The latter did not declare all the diplomatic gifts he received during his mandate at the head of the country (2018-2022). The commission concluded on Friday on this subject that the former head of government “was involved in corruption practices,” said one of Mr. Khan’s lawyers, Gohar Khan, announcing his intention to immediately seize justice to do Cancel this decision.
If it is confirmed by the courts, Mr. Khan, who had been overthrown in April by a motion of censure, may not be able to compete in the next legislative elections which must take place by October 2023.
Imran Khan had presented itself last weekend to eight by -elections to test its popularity – multiple applications being possible in Pakistan. If he won six of them, his election was in fact invalidated by the decision of the Electoral Commission.
of unorganized gifts and for some sold with profit
“We reject this shameful decision. The PTI and the whole nation reject this decision,” reacted the announcement of the decision on Friday Fawad Chaudhry, former information minister and senior manager of Mr. Khan, Pakistan Tehrik-e-insaf (the Pakistan movement for justice). He thus called all the supporters of the former Prime Minister to descend without waiting in the streets to demonstrate their disapproval.
The Pakistani press has been chaining the “UNES” with a sensible “one, criticizing the former international cricket champion and his wife for several months of having received the equivalent of several hundred thousands of dollars in gifts – in the form of Luxury watches, jewelry, designer handbags or perfumes – during their trips abroad, when he was Prime Minister, and not to have declared them. Worse still: to have sold some by making a profit.
The complaint on which the electoral commission has spoken was filed by the opposition when Mr. Khan was still in power. At the time, the Prime Minister had explained that he did not declare certain goods for reasons of national security. In a written response, he then admitted that he had bought for nearly 22 million gift rupees before reselling them for more than double this amount.
In Pakistan, government officials can receive and accept inexpensive gifts if they declare them. They can also acquire the most expensive for around 50 % of their value. This proportion was only 20 % before it was increased by Mr. Khan when he came to power. 2>
Vague of popular support
Despite his political eviction for violating the rules of political funding, Mr. Khan retains a large support in the population. His supporters gathered before the headquarters of the electoral commission in Islamabad on Friday to protest the latter’s decision.
Since April, Mr. Khan has repeatedly organized large rallies throughout the country, attracting tens of thousands of supporters, to put pressure on the fragile coalition in power. He promised to announce the date of a new “long walk” on Islamabad.
ceasing to rehash the thesis that his fall was the result of a “conspiracy” hatched by the United States, Imran Khan criticizes the government of his successor, Shehbaz Sharif, and demands early elections. The current government seeks at all costs to dismiss it from the next general elections, which will take place in 2023.
Imran Khan had come to power in 2018, after the PTI legislative victory, on a populist promise combining social reforms, religious conservatism and fighting corruption. Under his mandate, the economic situation deteriorated and he lost the support of the army, which had been accused of having helped to have it elected.