Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was found guilty of corruption by a judge on Saturday and sentenced to three years in prison for illegally selling state gifts in a case of concealment of assets that could disqualify him from politics.
Legal experts say a conviction in the case could end Khan’s chances of running in national elections due before early November.
Khan’s political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), said in a statement that it had already appealed to the country’s Supreme Court over the district court case.
The Islamabad court issued an arrest warrant after the ruling, and the Lahore Police moved immediately to transfer him to the Pakistani capital.
The sentence is related to an investigation carried out by the electoral commission, which found Khan guilty of illegally selling state gifts during his tenure as prime minister from 2018 to 2022.
Khan has denied any wrongdoing.
The 70-year-old cricketer-turned-politician was accused of abusing his position as prime minister to buy and sell state-owned gifts that were received during overseas visits and worth more than 140 crore Pakistani rupees ( $635,000).
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