Imran Khan and most of his supporters out of the game for next February’s elections

2 mins

The electoral commission must present the final list of candidates on January 23. But the party of‘Imran Khan did not wait for this date to announce the news: the candidacy of the imprisoned former Pakistani Prime Minister and those of most of his supporters in the legislative elections in February were rejected, officials of his party announced this Sunday.

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From 90 to 95% of party candidacies Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were invalidated, including that of its charismatic leader, Imran Khan, ex-Prime Minister who became the bane of the military. He was ousted in April 2022 after falling out with powerful army leaders, the same ones who had previously supported him to come to power in 2018.

In opposition, he accused the army of having precipitated his fall and of having plotted an assassination attempt against him. Everything would be done, according to him, to crush his movement and prevent him from running in the elections.

Since August, the former cricket star, still very popular in his country, serving a three-year prison sentence for reselling gifts received while he was in power. In October it was also indicted for disclosure of classified documents and has been the subject of more than 150 legal proceedings since its ousting of the government in April 2022. It is on the basis of these proceedings that his candidacy was rejected according to an official of the Electoral Commission, reports Agence France Presse.

Far from declaring itself defeated, Imran Khan’s party has announced that it will fight to the end – out of the question of leaving the political field or boycotting the elections.

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