Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan is indicted for allegedly insulting election officials

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A Pakistani court on Wednesday indicted imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan in a contempt case for allegedly insulting election officials, his defense lawyer said.

The indictment is another blow for Khan, who is serving time on a corruption conviction and has multiple other legal cases hanging over him.

It also comes days after election officials rejected Khan’s nomination papers, blocking his attempt to contest parliamentary polls on Feb. 8.

Khan is accused of calling the head of the Election Commission, Sikandar Sultan Rajaa, and other officials “personal servants” of former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

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Sharif replaced Khan in April 2022 after he was ousted from power in a no-confidence vote in Parliament by his political opponents. Since then, government agencies have pursued him in the courts.

The 71-year-old former cricketer is the country’s most popular opposition figure.

Khan’s lawyer, Naeem Haider Panjutha, said Khan was indicted at Adiala Prison in Rawalpindi.

He said during the court hearing, Khan pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him. One of Khan’s former deputies, Fawad Chaudhry, was also indicted on the same charges.

Election officials say they rejected Khan’s candidacy because of his corruption conviction.