“This is a totally illegal decision and it has political reasons, no legal ground,” Fawad Chaudhry, a senior leader in Khan’s party told reporters after the ruling.
The legal team plans to appeal the verdict at Islamabad’s High Court, lawyer Faisal Chaudhry said to The Post.
“This decision can’t withstand in any court and it will be thrown out in no time. The case filed against Imran Khan can’t prove he is not truthful and not trustworthy,” he said.
Protests are expected to follow Friday’s verdict as thousands of Khan supporters have pledged to take to the streets.
After Khan was ousted from power by Parliament this year, he held a series of large boisterous rallies that appear to have boosted his public support.
Pakistan’s current government has in turn, struggled to battle an economic crisis that began under Khan amid record breaking flooding that displaced tens of millions of people. The aftermath of the floods is only expected to further cripple the impoverished country’s economy.