Pakistan’s election commission bars ex-PM Khan from office

By MUNIR AHMED
Associated Press

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Officials say Pakistan’s elections commission has disqualified former Prime Minister Imran Khan from holding public office for five years, after finding he had unlawfully sold state gifts and concealed assets as premier. The decision is likely to deepen lingering political turmoil in this impoverished country. Khan’s spokesman condemned the decision on Friday by the Election Commission of Pakistan to bar Khan from holding office. Legal experts say that under the decision, Khan will also lose his seat in the National Assembly. Khan was ousted in April in a no-confidence vote in the parliament. His supporters were angered by the commission announcement and took to the streets across Pakistan, including in Islamabad, where they clashed with security forces.