Islamabad – Imran Khan, former prime minister of Pakistan, was arrested on Sunday in yet another case involving the deceptive acquisition of more than 5,000 kanals (625 acres) of land in the Punjab province of the nation.
Following his resignation as Pakistan’s prime minister in April of last year, the overall number of cases against the 70-year-old Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader has increased to over 140.
The majority of Khan’s trials involve terrorism, inciting public disorder, arson attacks, blasphemy, attempted murder, corruption, and fraud.
The latest complaint against Khan was filed by the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE).
Usman Buzdar, a former chief minister of Punjab, Khan’s sister Uzma Khan, and their spouses have also been detained.
“Khan and other defendants are charged with paying less than market value for 5,261 kanals of valuable land in Punjab’s Layyah district. In contrast to the actual price of PKR 6 billion (600 crores), they paid only PKR 13 crores for the land, according to the ACE.
The ACE said that the suspect “snatched” 500 kanals of locals’ long-time residents’ land by utilising political clout.
Uzma and her husband managed to escape a raid that was carried out to arrest them on Sunday in Lahore’s Zaman Park neighbourhood, according to ACE.
As the land (more than 5,000 acres) is in Uzma’s name, she is allegedly the main suspect in the case.
Khan, a former cricketer who entered politics, was removed from office in April 2017 after losing a vote of no confidence in him. Khan said that the vote was a part of a US-led plot to remove him from office because of his independent foreign policy judgements on Russia, China, and Afghanistan. MZ PTI MRJ MRJ
