In a land corruption case, a Pakistani court sentenced former Prime Minister Imran Khan to 14 years in prison on Friday, according to local broadcaster ARY News. An anti-graft court in a prison in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, where Khan has been detained since August 2023, handed down the case’s verdict, which was the biggest in terms of the financial misconduct Khan had to deal with.
The 72-year-old former cricket player was charged with receiving land as a gift from a real estate developer during his 2018–2022 premiership in return for unlawful favours. Khan had entered a not guilty plea, as had Bushra Bibi, his wife. Amid negotiations between Khan’s party and the government, the verdict was postponed three times, most recently on Monday. Bushra Bibi, who was previously free on bail and is in her late 40s, was arrested after being found guilty in the case as well, according to Geo News.
The foreign media arm of Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party issued a statement saying, “While we wait for a detailed decision, it’s important to note that the Al Qadir Trust case against Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi lacks any solid foundation and is bound to collapse.” Since Khan and his party’s unexpectedly strong performance in the general election of 2024, when its candidates—who were compelled to run as independents—won the most seats but fell short of the majority required to form a government, the verdict represents their biggest setback to date.
Read More About Imran Khan
After being ousted from office in a parliamentary vote of confidence in April 2022, Khan has been in jail since August 2023 and is facing dozens of cases ranging from accusations of graft and power abuse to inciting violence against the state. With the exception of one case in which he was charged with encouraging supporters to storm military installations in protest of his arrest on May 9, 2023, he has generally been found not guilty or had his sentences suspended. Since the events of May 9, his supporters have organised a number of violent protest rallies. For security reasons, he was tried inside jail.
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