The political railroad against Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan was slowed up today, as the Islamabad High Court (IHC) suspended his three-year jail sentence. Last year, the US State Department had instructed the Pakistani ambassador to Washington, DC, that Khan had to be removed from power, particularly for his “aggressively neutral position” on the conflict in Ukraine. Since then, Khan’s opponents in Islamabad have bowed to Washington in their railroading of Khan. The IHC overturned a lower-court decision to imprison Khan, and then ordered his immediate release.
At last count, Khan actually faces an incredible 180-plus cases lodged against him. Al Jazeera reported his spokesperson, Raoof Hasan, explaining that, while Khan was in prison this month, he was denied bail in nine other cases, on the grounds that he failed to show up in those cases. Of course, he was not allowed to leave his maximum-security prison in Attock, Pakistan to appear at any of those nine court dates!
Hence, his lawyers have submitted a petition for a “blanket bail” to also put an end to the threat of constant re-arrests. Al-Jazeera reported that a hearing on this will likely take place on August 30. Khan has enjoyed widespread support, and, if allowed to stand for election, he would be the odds-on favorite to regain his position as Prime Minister. However, the US State Department has taken an “aggressively” not-so-neutral position on what will be allowed in Pakistan. Today’s ruling has at least slowed down that railroad.
