Election officials in Pakistan have rejected former prime minister Imran Khan as a candidate in the country's February parliamentary election. His lawyers have said they will appeal.

The Election Commission of Pakistan on Saturday disallowed Khan's candidacy because of his conviction and what they said was his disqualification under the constitution, according to documents. They also rejected the candidacies of former members of his cabinet.

The decisions were a fresh blow for Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf party, which authorities have targeted during a monthslong crackdown.

Khan is in prison serving a three-year sentence for corruption and also faces a stack of other charges, making it difficult for him to run for office. But he still filed nomination papers, buoyed by an appeals court's August decision to suspend his criminal conviction.

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

No-confidence vote and removal

He was kicked out of office in April 2022 following a no-confidence vote in the parliament by his political opponents. Since then, government agencies have pursued him in the courts.

His lawyer, Azhar Siddique, said the rejection exposed the election commission's bias. He blamed the commission and "invisible forces" for Khan's disqualification.

Another of his lawyers, Rai Muhammad Ali, described the rejection of Khan's papers as 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."