Imran Khan has been rejected as a candidate in Pakistan’s upcoming election by officials.

Lawyers for the former prime minister have said they will appeal ahead of the vote to elect a new parliament in February.

Khan is currently serving a three-year prison sentence for corruption, making it difficult for him to run for office.

Despite his jail term, and the stack of other charges he faces, he still filed nomination papers.

In August, an appeal court decided to suspend his criminal conviction.

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

They said he was disqualified under the constitution and also rejected the candidacies of former members of his cabinet.

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It comes as a fresh blow for Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, which has been the subject of a crackdown by authorities over a number of months.

The 71-year-old was removed from office in April 2022 after a vote of no confidence in parliament.

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One of Khan’s lawyers, Rai Muhammad Ali, said the decision was an injustice to Pakistan.

“We want transparent elections,” Ali said.

“These situations are being deliberately created to evade the election. They are all scared. We will not let them escape.”

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