A Pakistani court has sentenced former Prime Minister Imran Khan to 14 years in prison for his involvement in a land corruption case, local broadcaster ARY News reported on Friday.
The verdict, delivered by an anti-graft court in Rawalpindi, where Khan has been jailed since August 2023, marks the largest financial wrongdoing case he has faced. The charges allege that Khan, 72, and his wife, Bushra Bibi, received land as a gift from a real estate developer during his premiership (2018-2022) in exchange for illegal favors. Both had pleaded not guilty.
Bushra Bibi, who was out on bail, was taken into custody following her conviction in the case, as reported by Geo News.
Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party criticized the verdict, with its foreign media wing stating, “The Al Qadir Trust case against Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi lacks any solid foundation and is bound to collapse.”
This ruling represents a significant setback for Khan and PTI, especially after their strong performance in the 2024 general election, where their candidates, contesting as independents, won the most seats but fell short of forming a government.
Since his removal from office through a parliamentary vote of confidence in April 2022, Khan has faced numerous legal battles, including charges of graft, misuse of power, and incitement of violence. While he has been acquitted or had sentences suspended in most cases, he remains jailed on charges related to the May 9, 2023, protests, during which his supporters attacked military facilities following his arrest.
The trial took place inside the jail for security reasons, with Khan’s supporters continuing to stage protests in his defense.