Imran Khan remains disqualified from contesting elections after conviction appeal fails

A Pakistani court on Thursday (Dec 21) rejected former Prime Minister Imran Khan's plea to suspend a conviction which will keep him at bay from contesting elections, said his lawyer.

The verdict came a day prior to the deadline to submit nomination papers for elections for provincial and national assemblies due on February 8.

Khan, who has been at the centre of a political crisis since he was ousted in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in April 2022, was seeking to overturn the conviction which has barred him from contesting elections for five years straight.

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"Imran Khan's request to suspend the decision in the Tosha Khana criminal case was rejected so that disqualification would remain (in place)," Khan's lawyer and spokesman on legal affairs, Naeem Haider Panjutha, said on X.

In anothersocial media post, he said that Khan's party Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), would challenge the verdict in the Supreme Court on Friday.

The former Pakistani prime minister was imprisoned in August this year after being sentenced to three years in jail over unlawfully selling state gifts during his 2018-22 tenure as the country's leader.

He has denied any wrongdoing anddubbed the charges politically motivated,

Khan, in addition to other cases running under his name, pleaded not guilty on December 13 to charges of leaking state secrets under an indictment that dealt a further blow to his chances of running again for election.

The charges are related to a classified cable that was sent to Islamabad by Pakistan's ambassador in Washington in the year 2022, which Khan is condemned for making public.

The main rival for PTI in the elections due in February would be former Pak PM Nawaz Sharif's party.

Khan starts campaign from prison using AI voice clone

On Sunday evening (Dec 17), the leaders of Khan's party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), released a voice clone of the cricketer-turned-politician that was made using artificial intelligence (AI).

Calling it a “virtual rally”, his 4-minute message was played out on social media despite nationwide internet disruptions monitored by NetBlocks.

It was viewed by more than 4.5 million people across Facebook, X and YouTube.

PTI told AFP news agency that Khan sent a shorthand script through lawyers that was meshed out into his rhetorical style.

The text was then dubbed into audio using a tool from the AI firm ElevenLabs, which boasts the ability to create a “voice clone” from existing speech samples.

“My fellow Pakistanis, I would first like to praise the social media team for this historic attempt,” the voice mimicking Khan said. “Maybe you all are wondering how I am doing in jail. Today, my determination for real freedom is very strong.”

According to PTI, the audio was bookended with genuine video clips from the Khan’s former speeches. However, the caption appearing at regular intervals said that it was the “AI voice of Imran Khan based on his notes”.

“This was a no-brainer for us when Imran Khan is no longer there to meet at a political rally,” said the PTI social media chief Jibran Ilyas who is based in the US. “It was to get over the suppression.”

(With inputs from agencies)