The police blocked the road leading to the main media office of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday. The police are currently stationed on all pathways to the party’s media office because PTI members are scheduled to have an important meeting today.
This increased police presence comes shortly after the party’s founder, Imran Khan, and his wife, Bushra Bibi, received a severe 14-year sentence from an accountability court in Islamabad. The sentence, related to the Toshakhana reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), also includes a hefty fine of Rs1.5 billion, and Imran Khan is disqualified from holding public office for 10 years.
Just the day before, Imran Khan and PTI’s Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi each received a 10-year sentence in the cipher case. This case revolves around allegations that the former prime minister disclosed the contents of a secret cable sent by the country’s ambassador in Washington to the government in Islamabad.
This marks the second conviction for Imran Khan in recent months. He had previously received a three-year sentence in a corruption case, although his jail term was suspended as he challenged the conviction. However, this had already barred him from participating in the upcoming general elections.
It’s crucial to note that PTI is facing challenges with legal matters, with Khan and Qureshi currently in jail, and the party feeling “cornered” as the general elections in the country approach.
Pakistan is heading towards significant yet controversial elections this time, given the instability in the country’s political and economic aspects. The polls, scheduled for February 8, will witness major political parties like the Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz competing for seats in the National and provincial assemblies. While most parties have their iconic electoral symbols, PTI is contesting as independent candidates with different symbols across the country, as they are deprived of their famous “bat” symbol this time.