A Pakistani court has sentenced former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, to 14 years in prison for selling state-owned gifts valued over £190 million.
Since August 2023, Imran Khan has been incarcerated on various charges. The recent conviction pertains to the unauthorized sale of valuable state gifts during his tenure. In addition to the prison sentence, the court imposed fines of 1 million rupees on Khan and 500,000 rupees on Bushra Bibi. Failure to pay these fines will result in an additional six months and three months in prison for Khan and Bibi, respectively.
Following the verdict, Bushra Bibi was taken into custody. The announcement of the judgment had been postponed three times due to ongoing discussions between the government and Khan’s political party.
Imran Khan, who served as Pakistan’s Prime Minister until April 2022, was previously convicted in a separate corruption case and sentenced to three years in prison. Although this sentence was later suspended, he remained detained on charges of leaking state secrets, for which he received a 10-year prison sentence in January. Khan faces over 150 legal cases, which he claims are politically motivated.
The court’s decision also bars both Khan and his wife from participating in politics for 10 years, preventing them from contesting in the upcoming general elections scheduled for February 8. Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has criticized the verdict, alleging that the charges are fabricated and aimed at sidelining their leadership ahead of the elections.
In response to the sentencing, PTI supporters have organized peaceful protests across major cities, denouncing the judiciary’s decision and expressing solidarity with their leader. Observers note that this development could significantly impact Pakistan’s political landscape, especially with the general elections imminent.
