Jailed Pakistan ex-PM Imran Khan appears in top court by video link

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan appeared in the Supreme Court on Thursday, May 16, by video from prison, in connection with a case he has filed against amendments to Pakistan’s anti-graft laws.

His video appearance was expected to be streamed live on the court’s website and YouTube, making it the first publicly seen visuals of the jailed leader since his arrest in August last year. But the visuals could not be seen on the website as proceedings began.

It was not immediately known why the visuals were not available on the website or YouTube.

Thousands of supporters of Khan were waiting on the YouTube channel of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party where the court visuals were expected to be aired.

Khan, a 71-year-old cricketer-turned-politician, has been appearing in other courts since being jailed, but cameras are not permitted to cover the proceedings which are usually conducted inside the jail premises.

While Khan has been fighting dozens of cases registered against him, Thursday’s appearance was in connection with a case he has filed against amendments to Pakistan’s anti-graft laws.

The Supreme Court this week ordered the government to ensure that Khan be produced via video link, granting his request to be allowed to represent himself instead of through a lawyer.

Khan, who was removed from power in 2022, was granted bail in a land corruption case on Wednesday, but will remain in prison having been convicted in four cases, of which sentences in two have been suspended.

The former prime minister, who remains widely popular in Pakistan, alleges that the cases are part of an effort by his political rivals and the country’s powerful military to sideline him and keep him from returning to power. Both deny this.

Khan-backed candidates won the most seats in national elections earlier this year despite him being in jail, but they did not have the numbers to form a government. An alliance of his rivals led by previous Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif eventually formed the government. – Rappler.com