Why are the police after Imran Khan?

Tear gas, arson, arrest... How Imran Khan is paying the price for some expensive gifts.  Brut journalist Labanya Maitra explains.

Transcript

00:00His supporters faced tear gas, fought security forces and set vehicles on fire, all to prevent

00:11the arrest of Imran Khan.

00:21The police had surrounded the former PM's residence in Lahore to arrest him in the Tosha

00:26Khana or Treasury case.

00:28In August 2022, the Shahbaz Sharif government had filed a case against Khan for not disclosing

00:33information on the gifts he received as Prime Minister.

00:37They also alleged illegal sales of some of these gifts.

00:41Khan had allegedly said that if he were to disclose the details of such gifts, it would

00:46severely impact the relations with other countries.

00:50He then wrote to the Election Commission or ECP and admitted that he sold a graph watch

00:56gifted to him by the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, some Rolex watches and expensive cufflinks,

01:01a valuable pen and a ring.

01:04But he had also mentioned that he bought these items from the government before selling them.

01:09While the ECP agreed that this sale wasn't illegal, they accused him of unethical behaviour

01:15and banned him from holding public office for 5 years.

01:29His detractors accused him of making $36 million by selling such gifts, some of which he allegedly

01:36never even deposited to the Treasury.

01:38The police first tried to arrest Khan on 5th March, but they couldn't find him at his residence.

01:44In the cat-and-mouse chase that followed, hundreds of his supporters gathered across

01:49different cities in Pakistan to protect him.

02:03But this wasn't the only case against Khan.

02:05The ECP had issued bailable arrest warrants against him and some of his party leaders

02:10for contempt.

02:11He had allegedly made comments against the polling body.

02:14He had also failed to attend a court hearing about protests outside the ECP, had been involved

02:20in cases of allegedly receiving prohibited foreign funds and also threatened a female

02:25judge, among others.

02:41Khan was popular even before he became a politician.

02:43He was one of Cricket Crazy Pakistan's favourite sports stars, especially when he brought home

02:48the 1992 World Cup.

02:50When he became a politician, he was seen as a step away from the Bhutto Zardari and Sharif

02:55Brothers' cliques.

02:56He amassed himself a loyal army of supporters.

02:59Under Khan, people expected the economy to do better and the quality of life to improve

03:04substantially, as he had promised.

03:06Well, that didn't happen.

03:08For many Pakistanis, he was untouched by corruption.

03:18Some say that his unwavering anti-Americanism also made him popular among the youth.

03:27A Gallup poll from February showed Khan as the country's most popular politician.

03:31It was because of this popularity that his supporters clashed with police, attacked them

03:36with slingshots, bricks, sticks and were batten charged and tear gassed in return.