Imran Khan marches for early Pakistan polls as legal woes mount
Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan continued his march to the capital Islamabad to push for early elections even as his legal troubles could threaten to derail his political career.
Khan has vowed to reach Islamabad by Friday along with a large group of supporters.
He had to stop his march for several hours on Sunday after a reporter died in an accident involving the former cricket star’s convoy.
The former premier was ousted from power after a no-confidence vote in April.
He faces his most significant challenge from an election commission ruling that disqualified him as a lawmaker for failing to declare the money he earned from selling gifts he received from foreign leaders while in office.
Khan is expected to appear in Islamabad High Court on Nov 10 to appeal the disqualification.
However, the former premier continues to garner massive public support at his rallies and his party has swept several by-elections held since his ouster.
Over the weekend Khan won another by-election to fill a seat to parliament’s lower house.
The political tension comes at a time the South Asian nation is also dealing with an economy in crisis.
Moody’s Investors Service downgraded the nation deeper into junk on concerns about debt payments.
The nation’s foreign exchange reserves have dropped to the lowest in more than three years and most dollar bonds trade in distressed levels.