Pakistan’s political scene witnessed a seismic shift today as a court sentenced former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to 14 years in prison in the Toshakhana gifts case. This comes just a day after Khan was handed a separate 10-year sentence in the “cypher case” related to alleged state secrets disclosure.
These verdicts, delivered shortly before the February 8th general elections, have cast a long shadow over the upcoming polls and ignited fervent reactions from Khan’s supporters and detractors alike.
The accountability court found Khan and his wife guilty of retaining and selling state gifts received during his premiership, violating government regulations. A special court established under the Official Secrets Act convicted Khan of misusing a confidential diplomatic cable, which he claims proves his 2022 ouster was a foreign-backed conspiracy.
Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party vehemently condemned both verdicts, calling them politically motivated and orchestrated to silence their leader. They vowed to challenge the decisions in higher courts.
Celebrity endorsements and social media trends indicate significant support for Khan among his followers. Musicians, actors, and artists expressed outrage at the sentences and urged PTI supporters to rally behind Khan in the elections.
Actor Ushna Shah tweeted “Ten years for what!? Is this a joke?”
Ten years for what!? Is this a joke?
— Ushna Shah (@ushnashah) January 30, 2024
Aur meri jaan kay totay vote zarur daalna
— hasan raheem (@hasanraheeem) January 30, 2024
Sharing the report, Armeena Khan wrote“Nonsense! Pakistani judicial system was and is a joke.”
Nonsense! Pakistani judicial system was and is a joke. https://t.co/8iVIQvPGQE
— Armeena ✨ (@ArmeenaRK) January 30, 2024
“History seems to be on repeat in Pakistan,” Adnan Malik observed in the wake of the #CypherCase verdict.
https://twitter.com/adnanmalik/status/1752281296804388890?s=20
Duss nahi, aap kay buss ki baat nahi hai! Woh jeet chuka hai. 🖐🏽Imran Khan Zindabad
— Haroon Shahid (@Haroon_5hahid) January 30, 2024
Guitarist Salman Ahmad strongly criticized the judge responsible for the verdict, expressing, “Judges such as Hasnat Zulqarnain and Humayun Dilawar have dedicated their entire lives to undermining the integrity of the judiciary. By lowering the rule of law index to unprecedented levels, it raises the question – who would aspire to be a judge in Pakistan?”
Judges like Hasnat and Dilawar have devoted their entire lives to destabilising the judiciary . Plummeting the rule of law index below the lowest in the world , who would want to be a judge in Pakistan? pic.twitter.com/Z4WTx94HyY
— Salman Ahmad (@sufisal) January 30, 2024
The timing of these verdicts within close proximity to the polls throws the Pakistani political landscape into disarray. It remains to be seen how this will impact voter turnout and ultimately, the election results.
