Imran Khan, former prime minister of Pakistan who has been found guilty of bribery and sentenced to prison, was banned from politics on Tuesday, according to an official decree.
Khan was declared ineligible according to the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) ruling, which was seen by Reuters and verified by a top officer.
The order also said that Khan's seat would now be empty.
Under Pakistani law, a convicted person cannot run for any public office for a period defined by the ECP, which could be up to a maximum of five years starting from the conviction date.
“We knew this was inevitable,” Khan’s aide Zulfikar Bukhari told Reuters, saying the party will challenge the disqualification in the high court.
“We’re highly confident it will be reversed,” he said.
Khan, who has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, was given a three-year prison term on Saturday for illegally selling gifts from the government that he and his family received when he served as president from 2018 to 2022. He was imprisoned close to Islamabad after being hauled into custody at his Lahore home.
Khan was declared ineligible according to the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) ruling, which was seen by Reuters and verified by a top officer.
The order also said that Khan's seat would now be empty.
Under Pakistani law, a convicted person cannot run for any public office for a period defined by the ECP, which could be up to a maximum of five years starting from the conviction date.
“We knew this was inevitable,” Khan’s aide Zulfikar Bukhari told Reuters, saying the party will challenge the disqualification in the high court.
“We’re highly confident it will be reversed,” he said.
Khan, who has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, was given a three-year prison term on Saturday for illegally selling gifts from the government that he and his family received when he served as president from 2018 to 2022. He was imprisoned close to Islamabad after being hauled into custody at his Lahore home.
