Muhammad Khurram Khan, a senior Pakistani politician, is on trial in the UK for two alleged child sex offences.
Khan was arrested in the UK for his son’s law graduation. He faces charges of “attempted sexual communications with a child” and “arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence,” as stated in Kingston Crown Court.
Khan, who hails from the Khan Khel clan, participated in the court session via video link from Wandsworth Prison, where he is held without bail.
Represented by lawyer Charlene Sumnall, Khan denies the charges. His associates claim he has been wrongfully targeted.
The charges stem from interactions with an undercover detective posing as a girl under 17, initiated on social media. UK law, under the 2003 Sexual Offences Act, sets the age of consent at 16.
Khan, related to Shahzada Gustasap Khan, a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf lawmaker, maintains his innocence. No family ties to his actions have been suggested.
His father, Mohammad Hanif Khan, is a former parliament member and federal minister with the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
Educated at Lawrence College and Burn Hall School & College in Abbottabad, Khan has served as Tehsil Nazim of Mansehra and Chairman of the Khaghan Development Authority. However, he is not a practising lawyer.
