“Pakistan’s election body has declined the nomination of former Prime Minister Imran Khan to run in the 2024 national elections in two constituencies, as reported by officials and his party’s media team on Saturday. The 71-year-old former cricket star has been entangled in a web of political and legal challenges since his ousting as prime minister in April 2022. Since being sentenced to three years in jail in August for unlawfully selling state gifts while in office from 2018 to 2022, he has not made a public appearance.
Despite being disqualified from participating in the national elections scheduled for Feb. 8 due to the corruption conviction, Imran Khan filed nomination papers for the elections on Friday, according to his media team.”
“In a list of rejected candidates from Lahore, the Election Commission of Pakistan stated that Imran Khan’s nomination was declined because he was not a registered voter of the constituency and because he is ‘convicted by the court of law and has been disqualified.’
His media team further revealed that the commission also rejected his nomination to contest the elections from his hometown, Mianwali.
Despite being widely viewed as the country’s most popular leader, Imran Khan asserts that he is being targeted by the powerful military, which allegedly aims to keep him out of the polls. The military denies these allegations.
Pakistan’s Supreme Court granted Imran Khan bail in a case related to a leak of state secrets last Friday, a day after a high court refused to suspend his disqualification from contesting the elections.”