Pakistan’s former premier Imran Khan is seeking permission from the High Court to skip a hearing where he would have been formally charged for failing to disclose proceeds from selling state gifts when he was in power.
(Bloomberg) — Pakistan’s former premier Imran Khan is seeking permission from the High Court to skip a hearing where he would have been formally charged for failing to disclose proceeds from selling state gifts when he was in power.
The legal tussles over Khan’s appearance in court cases adds to the political turmoil that has gripped the South Asia nation since the former cricket star was ousted from power in April last year. Pakistan’s government is also grappling with an economic crisis and is racing to secure bailout funds to avoid a default.
Khan’s lawyer Khawaja Harris said the politician will seek another exemption from a lower court. Khan and his lawyers have repeatedly warned of threats to his life, saying it’s a key reason for him to miss court proceedings. In November, Khan, 70, was shot in the leg during a rally in central Punjab province.
The High Court is expected to make a ruling on Khan’s request later on Monday. Khan is planning to hold an election rally in Punjab’s capital Lahore on the same day.
He has been skipping court proceedings since February when Judge Zafar Iqbal announced plans to lay out charges against him for concealing earnings from selling state gifts. The judge last month issued a non-bailable arrest warrant to compel him to attend. Courts in Pakistan cannot level formal charges if the accused is not present.
A High Court in Islamabad eventually suspended the warrant on Khan’s request lat week and ordered him to show up in the lower courts after police failed to arrest him at his home in Punjab and supporters vowed to take to the streets.
The charge stems from the Election Commission that in October disqualified Khan from holding public office for allegedly hiding money from selling gifts received from foreign dignitaries and world leaders when he was prime minister.
The Election Commission investigation found Khan bought the gifts on concession prices from the state treasury. His purchases included one Graff and six Rolex watches assessed to be valued at $354,714 and jewelery worth $148,039. Some of them were sold in local markets, local media reported.
The indictment could trigger more street protests and prove to be a distraction for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif whose government is racing to secure bailout loans from the International Monetary Fund. Khan is the most popular politician in Pakistan, an opinion survey showed last week, and his rallies have drawn tens of thousands of supporters.
Sharif has vowed to complete his government’s term in August and wants to see through the IMF program. But he has become deeply unpopular as voters blame his coalition for the economic crisis. The Pakistani rupee has plummeted to new lows and inflation is hovering at a record high.
The prime minister and his finance minister, Ishaq Dar, have raised energy prices and taxes and are racing to meet other conditions to revive a loan with the IMF. They need to avoid a default that can make borrowing costs higher and cut off market access to credit.
(Updates with details throughout)
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