(RepublicanJournal.org) – Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan left office in April 2022, after the country’s parliament ousted him with a no-confidence vote. He attempted to dissolve the assembly and rush elections to stay in power, forcing the Supreme Court to step in and restore the Houses. His actions surrounding the desperate cling to power led to a conviction, and a judge just sentenced him to 10 years in jail.
Khan claimed the United States was ultimately behind his removal, part of a larger conspiracy — which included his own government — to overturn his administration. The New York Post reports that he accused US officials of sending a secret wire message to Islamabad, which he says contained a plot to force him out of power. The Pakistan leader made the private message public, which officials allege divulged state secrets instead of a conspiracy against the controversial leader. That action led to his most recent charges.
This is Khan’s second conviction. He previously received a three-year sentence for corruption, making him ineligible for the country’s February 9 general elections. He vowed to add this most recent conviction to his fight, insisting it was a “sham.” Naeem Haider Panjutha, Khan’s legal spokesman, claimed on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, that the Supreme Court’s decision was “illegal” and his client’s only fault was attempting to fight their country’s “mafia.”
The Wall Street Journal describes Khan as an Islamic fundamentalist who attempted to move his country backward toward a Muslim welfare state. He backed blasphemy laws, pulled religion back into the political realm, slammed Western values, and defended the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan. The Taliban in Pakistan reportedly flourished under his leadership, creating a growth of militant groups and an explosion of military violence.
The leader disagreed with military personnel over numerous policies and placement decisions, leading to internal clashes that led to his growing opposition. He also skyrocketed national debt, tanked the value of the Pakistani rupee, and left the country with heavy unemployment, devastating the economy.
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