Ex-Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan and wife sentenced in corruption case

Friday 17 January 2025 - 08:03

Pakistan’s former Prime Minister, Imran Khan, was sentenced to 14 years in prison on Friday, while his wife, Bushra Bibi, received a seven-year sentence in a corruption case linked to the Al-Qadir University Project Trust. Khan was also fined 1 million Pakistani rupees ($3,500), and Bibi received a fine of half that amount. The verdict was delivered by an accountability court in Rawalpindi, where Khan has been detained since August 2023. The decision had been postponed multiple times, with Khan accusing the delays of being an attempt to pressure him.

This is the fourth major conviction for Khan, who had previously faced charges in three other cases related to selling state gifts, leaking state secrets, and unlawful marriage. These earlier convictions were overturned or suspended, but Khan remains in custody, facing multiple other charges, which he claims are politically motivated.

Khan was initially arrested in May 2023 in connection with the Al-Qadir Trust case, which sparked nationwide protests. Khan’s lawyer condemned the verdict, claiming that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) failed to prove any financial losses or links to personal gains through the trust. He also argued that the case was politically driven, stating that the establishment of a trust should not be considered a conflict of interest.

The case centered on allegations that Khan and his wife used their position to acquire land for the Al-Qadir Trust, allegedly involved in money laundering through property tycoon Malik Riaz. The NAB claimed that Khan, during his time as prime minister, facilitated Riaz’s laundering of over $239 million, causing significant losses to the national treasury.

The charges coincided with ongoing talks between Khan’s party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), and the current government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Legal experts noted that the case involved over 100 hearings and focused primarily on money laundering. Despite the legal proceedings, political analysts worry that the conviction may derail negotiations between the PTI and the government, which have already faced internal divisions.