Rana Sanaullah, an adviser to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, said this week “the government will try to keep him locked up for as long as possible”.
Analysts say Pakistan’s powerful military, which ruled directly for decades and still wields immense power, is likely behind the slew of cases.
Khan was ousted by a parliamentary no-confidence vote after falling out with the top generals who had once backed him.
He then waged an unprecedented campaign of defiance in opposition against them and accused top officers of conspiring in an assassination attempt in which he was shot during a political rally in November 2022.
Khan’s brief arrest in May 2023 sparked nationwide unrest, which in turn prompted a sweeping crackdown against his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and its senior leaders.
PTI candidates were forced to stand as independents in the February elections, although candidates loyal to PTI still secured more seats than any other party.
However, they were kept from power by a broad coalition of parties considered loyal to the military.
