In Tuesday’s ruling, the appeals court only suspended Khan’s sentence and conviction, and the same court will decide whether to set aside the conviction at a later date, an expert says
His Saturday arrest followed a court convicting him earlier that day in an asset concealment case
Friday’s development comes amid a government crackdown on Khan’s opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party and its supporters over the violent demonstrations that followed Khan’s arrest earlier this month
Khan, now Pakistan’s top opposition leader, has claimed his ouster in a no-confidence vote last year was illegal and has campaigned against the government of his successor, demanding early elections
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The Islamabad High Court gave Khan protection from arrest for two weeks in connection to a graft charge and protection until Monday on other charges against him
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His detention has triggered protests and violence unseen since 2007, when another ex-premier, Benazir Bhutto, was assassinated during an election campaign. In the last two days, at least eight people have died in clashes between Khan’s supporters and the police
The popular opposition leader and former prime minister was dragged from a courtroom on Tuesday and arrested on corruption charges, deepening the country’s political turmoil
The arrest, which marks a dramatic escalation on Pakistan’s political scene, drew nationwide condemnation from supporters of the popular opposition leader
Khan was not in the home, having traveled to Islamabad to appear before a judge to face charges he sold state gifts while in office and hid his assets
