The Facts
Former Pakistani PM Imran Khan was arrested in Lahore on Saturday after a court sentenced him to three years in prison following his conviction on corruption charges. He called for nationwide protests in response to the ruling.
The former Pakistani cricket captain, who served as PM from 2018 to 2022, was accused of misusing his office to buy and sell state possessions worth more than 140M Pakistani rupees ($497,500).
The Spin
Narrative A
Khan's arrest is illegal and politically motivated. The accusations against him are completely fabricated, with his opponents pursuing 80 different cases against him — including completely baseless accusations of murder, sedition, blasphemy, and terrorism — in the hopes that something will stick. The government wants to remove Khan from the electoral contest because it fears his popularity among voters.
Narrative B
The arrest of Imran Khan is not politically motivated; he is accused of theft and corruption. His denial of every accusation merely serves to demonstrate that he avoids accountability in every way. His case has been investigated thoroughly, and the verdict followed due process. With his sentence, Khan will be disqualified from politics for five years.
