By Asif Shahzad
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) -A Pakistani high court on Wednesday turned down an appeal by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan that his conviction on corruption charges be suspended, his lawyer said, suggesting it was unlikely he would be released on bail anytime soon.
Khan, 70, has been at the centre of political turmoil since he was ousted last year as prime minister in a no-confidence vote, raising concerns about Pakistan’s stability as it grapples with an economic crisis.
He has been barred from holding any public office for five years since he commenced a three-year prison sentence on Saturday on charges of unlawfully selling state gifts acquired by him and his family during his 2018-2022 tenure.
The court asked the concerned authorities to respond to Khan’s plea to be moved to an A-class jail cell in a prison in Rawalpindi, which has better facilities that he is entitled to as a former prime minister, his lawyer Naeem Panjutha said outside the court.
The case was adjourned for an indefinite time, Panjutha said, adding; “Our request to suspend the conviction wasn’t accepted.”
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The court will issue a written order later in the day.
Khan, who has denied any wrongdoing, was arrested at his Lahore house and is currently in a prison near Islamabad.
(Reporting by Asif Shahzad, Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan, Nick Macfie and Bernadette Baum)