“Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was convicted in a corruption case on Saturday, according to one of his lawyers, which could disqualify him from running in national elections due later this year.
Khan wasn’t present in court. Police said that Khan was arrested immediately following the verdict in the eastern city of Lahore, where he has been living in his family home in recent months.
Khan, the leader of the country’s biggest opposition party, was sentenced to three years in jail by a court in Islamabad, said Gohar Khan, a lawyer for the politician. Khan maintains his innocence in this case, as well as in dozens of other legal cases brought against him by the government since he was ousted from power in April last year.
In recent months Pakistan, which is mired in a deep economic crisis, has seen a broad political crackdown on Khan and his party. Thousands of Khan’s supporters were arrested earlier this year after protests at military sites over his arrest in May on corruption charges. The courts had freed him days later on bail.”
Analyst Comment: Pakistan Niger, Nigeria, Israel, Brazil and India are all facing heavy popular unrest that could lead to significant conflicts between entrenched government leaders and popular movements. these conflicts results in outcomes like coups, revolutions and violent crackdowns.