Donald Trump should spare a thought for Imran Khan. If the former US president feels overrun by lawsuits, he could comfort himself with the thought that they are a mere bagatelle in comparison with those against Pakistan’s former prime minister.
Since being deposed in a parliamentary vote of no confidence in 2022, Khan and his PTI (Pakistan Movement for Justice) party has clocked up hundreds of civil and criminal charges. Some have been charges of corruption, treason, espionage and fraud. Others have been pettifogging in the extreme. Two weeks ago, the election commission of Pakistan won its case in the Supreme Court to deny Khan, a former world cup winning cricket captain, the use of a cricket bat as PTI’s electoral symbol.
The PTI’s lead has narrowed over the past year – not surprising given the relentless crackdown on Khan’s party
But with national parliamentary elections due to take place in just over a week’s time, the government has leveraged its power over the judiciary to deal what it hopes will be lethal blow to PTI’s electoral prospects.
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