Pakistan court orders jailed Ex-PM Imran Khan to appear in public trial
A Pakistani court has issued an order for the presentation of former Prime Minister Imran Khan at a trial scheduled for November 28, relating to allegations of disclosing state secrets, as confirmed by his lawyer. This court appearance would mark his first public outing since his incarceration in August.
The ex-cricket star has been entangled in a web of political and legal confrontations following his removal as prime minister in a contentious no-confidence vote in 2022, which he vehemently criticized as unjust.
'Imran Khan has been instructed by the court to appear on Nov 28,' stated Khan's lawyer, Naeem Panjutha, in a post on the social media platform X, previously known as Twitter.
The court cited procedural matters as the basis for setting the Nov 28 date for Khan's mandated appearance. A spokesperson for the law ministry, responsible for deciding Khan's appearance, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The 71-year-old was sentenced to three years in prison on August 5 for allegedly unlawfully selling state gifts during his tenure as prime minister from 2018 to 2022.
Khan has consistently refuted any wrongdoing and dismissed the array of charges leveled against him—including corruption and the unauthorized disclosure of state secrets—as fabricated attempts orchestrated by the military to obstruct his participation in the general election scheduled for February 8.
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