Pakistan court pauses Imran Khan’s trial over sale of state gifts

A Pakistan high court temporarily stopped former Prime Minister Imran Khan's trial on Friday on charges of illegally selling state gifts, according to his counsel, in a case that may destroy the opposition leader's political career if he is convicted.

According to legal experts, a guilty judgement in the case might bar Khan from running in the November national elections.

The pause comes after the high court directed a trial court to investigate whether a legal complaint submitted by the country's election commission as part of an investigation into Khan constituted a criminal action, according to his lawyer Naeem Panjhuta and various local TV news stations.

Khan's legal team had contested the commission's complaint, claiming that it was not a criminal case and that the judge who presided over the trial was biased against Khan.

The trial, which is nearing completion, stems from an election commission investigation that found Khan guilty of illegally selling state goods during his stint as Prime Minister from 2018 to 2022.

Khan’s targeting of the military has raised political temperatures, and his brief arrest in May on corruption charges sparked violent protests in the country.