Former Prime Minster Imran Khan has been jailed for five years in the Toshakhana case for allegedly selling state gifts and has been barred from politics for five years.
Here is a look at some of the prominent politicians who have been to jail.
Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan
Pashtun nationalist leader Abdul Ghaffar Khan was arrested in 1948 and jailed for seven years. In 1956, he was arrested for protesting against the establishment of ‘One Unit’ in West Pakistan. He was kept in prison by Ayub Khan’s regime until 1964.
Ghulam Murtaza (GM) Syed
GM Syed became a political prisoner of the state in 1948 and started the movement for Sindhi nationalism. He spent approximately thirty years of his life in imprisonment and house arrests for his political views. He died during his house arrest in Karachi in 1995.
Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan
Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan was detained for being vocal against military rulers. General Zia-ul-Haq placed Nawabzada under house arrest for nearly five years.
During Musharraf’s era, he headed the 16-party Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD). Nawabzada was briefly arrested for announcing to hold a rally in Lahore.
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was detained by military rulers for nearly two years until his execution in 1979.
Bhutto was first detained by General Yahya Khan in 1971 for criticizing his mishandling of the Bangladesh situation. Bhutto was imprisoned at Adiala Jail for several weeks until Yahya resigned and transferred powers to Bhutto.
In July 1977, Bhutto was arrested when General Zia-ul-Haq staged a military coup. Bhutto spent more than a year and a half in jail until his execution on April 4, 1979, at Central Jail Rawalpindi.
Begum Nusrat Bhutto
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s wife, Begum Nusrat Bhutto, become a symbol of resistance to the military dictatorship of General Zia-ul-Haq.
She was frequently placed under house arrests and detentions during 1970s and 1980s. Zia’s regime did not allow her to attend her husband’s funeral after he was executed.
Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto has also been behind bars by the military of Gen Zia. In 1981, she was imprisoned in Sukkur Jail under harsh conditions for six months. She was shifted to Karachi Central Jail where she remained imprisoned for the next six months.
Benazir was also placed under house arrest in Larkana for 11 months. In 1985, Benazir was kept under house arrest in Karachi for four months. In 1986, Benazir returned to Pakistan ad was again detained for several weeks in Landhi Jail.
Yousaf Raza Gilani
PPP leader Yousaf Raza Gilani was arrested on 11 February 2001 by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) after being accused of misusing his authority while he was Speaker of the National Assembly in 1993–97. He was convicted by an anti-corruption court and spent nearly six years in prison.
Asif Ali Zardari
The husband of Benazir Bhutto, Zardari has spent 11 years in jail on charges ranging from corruption to murder and money laundering. He was first jailed from 1990 to 1993 and then from 1996 to 2004.
Nawaz Sharif
After Pervez Musharraf’s 1999 coup, Nawaz Sharif was convicted of treason and sentenced to life imprisonment by a military court. Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif were released from prison after a year and exiled to Saudi Arabia in December 2000. They were kept in Attock, Landhi, and Adiala jails.
In 2018, Nawaz Sharif was jailed after being convicted in the Panama Papers case. He spent nearly nine months in jail before being exiled to London.
Imran Khan
After Pervez Musharraf imposed an emergency in November 2007, Imran Khan remained in week-long custody.
He was arrested after trying to take charge of a student protest in Lahore against the state of emergency. He was detained in the Dera Ghazi Khan jail. He was demanding the reinstatement of supreme court judges fired by Musharraf.
Javed Hashmi
Senior politician Javed Hashmi was detained for about four years – from 2003 to 2007 – after he was convicted on treason charges for criticizing the army.
Altaf Hussain
Altaf Hussain was arrested at least three times during his political career since 1979. He was sent to jail for nine months in 1979, four months in 1986 and five months in 1987 in connection with different cases.
