Pakistan’s imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan is facing the charge of sedition, which carries a maximum punishment of death. The sedition charge comes under the allegations of inciting his supporters to attack state buildings, Bloomberg reported. 

The police in central Punjab province added the charges in a complaint registered earlier after a court’s approval, Khan’s lawyer Rana Mudassar Umer said by phone from Lahore, adding that Khan will appeal against the charges in a higher court.

Meanwhile, Pakistan's election commission has revealed that the postponed elections are scheduled to be held in January of the coming year. This decision comes as Pakistan faces a complex combination of political, economic, and security challenges.

Since the dissolution of parliament on August 9, a caretaker government has been in charge of Pakistan's affairs. This move followed the imprisonment of Imran Khan, the country's most prominent politician and former Prime Minister, on alleged corruption charges. Furthermore, he was barred from participating in future elections.

Originally, the polls were scheduled to occur within 90 days. However, the election commission cited the necessity to revise constituencies after the latest population census as the reason for the extended timeline.

"The final list of constituencies will be published on November 30. After that, the elections will be held in the last week of January 2024, after a 54-day election program," the commission said in a statement. 

A political expert has proposed that the specified date might be subject to change.

"The announcement of a date is a positive and significant sign, however, Pakistani politics is so unstable that one can't predict what will happen after three months," Hasan Askari Rizvi said as quoted by AFP.

"But all the sufferings of the common people due to inflation and price hikes will have a direct bearing -- provided all parties are allowed to campaign and contest elections," he added. 

Earlier this month, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan expressed apprehension regarding the potential for institutions to influence and manipulate the electoral procedure.

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The big picture

Imran Khan's removal from the position of prime minister in April of the previous year triggered several months of political turmoil. This period was marked by a resolute campaign against the influential military, ultimately leading to a substantial crackdown on his political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

The authorities have framed more than 150 cases against Khan from murder to corruption and inciting violence, taking an aim at his chances of participating in elections due early next year. One of these charges landed him a three-year prison term followed by a ban from politics for five years over an unsubstantiated accusation of "corrupt practices". 

The newest "sedition charges" were added after police said his supporters broke the law, clashed with authorities, and damaged government and military buildings on May 9 after he was briefly arrested in one of the cases.

Pakistan is currently grappling with a severe economic recession, with business leaders urgently calling for political stability in the financially strained nation. The country has experienced a significant devaluation of its currency and a surge in inflation.

Moreover, Pakistan has witnessed a notable increase in insurgency, particularly in its border regions adjacent to Afghanistan.

Statistics from the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies indicate that the first half of 2023 saw an almost 80 percent rise in attacks compared to the previous year.

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