Pakistan Ex-PM Sentenced To 14 Years In Prison For Corruption

Imran Khan, the former prime minister of Pakistan, has received a 14-year prison sentence for corruption. The sentence adds another significant setback to the already beleaguered leader who has spent over 18 months in jail and faces more than 100 additional cases.
Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were found guilty of illegally acquiring valuable land plots, worth billions of rupees, through a corrupt deal with a prominent Pakistani property tycoon. Khan received a 14-year sentence and a fine of 1 million Pakistan rupees (£2,900), while his wife was sentenced to seven years in prison.
The accountability court that delivered the verdict was specially established inside Adialia prison in Rawalpindi, where Khan has been held since his arrest in August 2023. Bibi was arrested in the courtroom immediately after the verdict was announced.

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Khan, who remains a highly popular political figure in Pakistan, has consistently asserted that the cases against him are part of a “political witch hunt” designed to keep him out of power. Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party governed from 2018 to 2022, but he was removed from office after losing the support of the country’s powerful military. Following his removal, he engaged in a public dispute with the army leadership, accusing them of involvement in a plot to assassinate him.
Charges Against Khan Imran
Since his arrest, Khan has faced a growing number of charges, including murder, terrorism, and breaching national security. While he was convicted in three cases, including for selling state secrets and illegal marriage, those convictions were later overturned or suspended last year. However, he has remained in prison.
In a statement, Khan’s party denounced the ruling as a “black day,” claiming it is evidence of the lack of independence within Pakistan’s courts.
Zulfi Bukhari, an adviser to Khan and spokesperson for PTI, stated that they would appeal the verdict in the high courts, claiming the judge in the case had “no credibility.”
“This is another example of undeclared martial law in practice, which allows those in power to make a mockery of the justice system in order to silence their political opponents,” said Bukhari. “Imran Khan is strong and determined and he will continue to fight for justice and the return of the rule of law and democracy in his country.”
The case, which Khan has previously dismissed as “bogus”, involves Malik Riaz, a wealthy and influential property developer in Pakistan. According to the charges, Khan and Bibi made a quid pro quo deal with Riaz. Riaz allegedly gave them large amounts of valuable land to establish a university for the poor in exchange for their assistance in enabling him to launder $239 million (£195 million).
Reports emerged on Friday indicating that senior PTI members had met with military leadership. However, standing outside the court after his conviction, Khan declared that he would not engage in any backroom deals to secure his freedom. “I will neither make any deal nor seek any relief,” Khan told reporters. “Those who stand against dictatorship are punished.”
Source: The Guardian