Pakistani court sentences ex-PM Imran Khan and his wife to 14 and 7 years in prison in graft case

A Pakistani court dealt a severe blow to the country’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday, sentencing him and his wife to 14 and seven years in jail for corruption. Imran Khan, who has been imprisoned since 2023, was found guilty of accepting a gift of land from a real estate tycoon in exchange for laundered money during his time in power.

The businessman in question, Malik Riaz, allegedly paid fines imposed on him in another case using the laundered money of 190 million British pounds that had been returned to Pakistan by British authorities in 2022. Prosecutors claim that Imran Khan allowed this transaction to take place, leading to the corruption charges against him and his wife.

Imran Khan has consistently denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that the charges against him are part of a conspiracy by his political rivals to prevent his return to office. Despite his arrest in 2023, Khan has remained steadfast in his defiance of the allegations.

Following the court’s verdict, Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were taken into custody by prison officials. Bushra Bibi had previously served a prison sentence in another corruption case before being released on bail in October. She had recently led a rally demanding her husband’s release.

In a post from Imran Khan’s account on social media, he urged his supporters not to panic over the verdict. He expressed his commitment to continue the struggle against what he referred to as a dictatorship, vowing not to compromise on his principles for the nation’s freedom.

Imran Khan’s legal team plans to challenge the court’s decision in higher courts, while lawmakers from his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), protested outside the parliament in Islamabad, asserting that the former prime minister had been unfairly punished.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar claimed that there was “irrefutable evidence” of Imran Khan’s involvement in a “mega corruption scandal.” He alleged that Khan had failed to disclose the money returned to Pakistan by Britain and had used it to build a lavish house in Lahore.

The sentencing of Imran Khan and his wife comes amidst ongoing political turmoil in Pakistan, with PTI accusing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government of electoral fraud in the 2024 election. The demand for the release of political detainees, including Imran Khan, remains a key point of contention between the two parties.

As the legal battle continues, supporters of Imran Khan have gathered outside the prison in Rawalpindi, chanting slogans against the government and calling for the release of their leader. The future of Pakistan’s political landscape remains uncertain as the fallout from Imran Khan’s conviction reverberates across the country.