Oct. 24 (EUROPA PRESS) –
Pakistan’s Election Commission concluded on Monday that former Prime Minister Imran Jan “intentionally and deliberately” violated electoral law in 2017 by making “false statements” about gifts he received during his tenure.
“The amount allegedly received in his bank account does not correspond to the appraised value of the gift items. Therefore, the defendant has made a false statement and a material misstatement for the fiscal year 2018-19.” , reads the verdict, collected by the newspaper ‘Dawn’.
Regarding gifts purchased for the 2019-20 fiscal year, the verdict underlines that the former prime minister made an “evasive and ambiguous” statement. “Thus, it is established that he has deliberately concealed material facts and has made (a) false declaration of his assets, which carries serious constitutional and legal consequences,” he notes.
Jan filed a statement with the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Saturday, challenging the Electoral Commission’s verdict on his five-year ban, threatening further demonstrations this week after the decision sparked riots by his supporters in the capital, Islamabad.
The Electoral Commission opened the door to Jan’s criminal prosecution for not disclosing the details of the gifts he received during his time in power from foreign governments, despite the existence of a specific institution responsible for channeling these deliveries.
The moments prior to the Electoral Commission’s announcement had already been tense, with Jan’s supporters climbing the body’s entrances. Pakistan has lived in recent months under constant moments of uncertainty due to a political pulse that has been transferred to the courts.
Jan was sacked in April following an opposition-led censure motion in Parliament, after the Supreme Court overturned the then Prime Minister’s decision to dissolve Parliament and announce early elections. After that, the opposition Shehbaz Sharif assumed the position of prime minister.
