A Pakistani court sentenced former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife to 14 and seven years in prison, respectively, after finding them guilty of corruption, AP News reported.
The verdict marked another blow to the already-imprisoned prime minister. This time he, and now his wife, are accused of accepting a land donation from a real estate tycoon in exchange for laundered money when Khan held power.
Prosecutors alleged that Khan authorised businessman Malik Riaz to pay fines imposed on him in another case from the same laundered money amounting to 190 million British pounds ($240 million). The sum was returned to Pakistan by the British authorities in 2022 to be deposited in the national treasury.
However, since his arrest in 2023, Khan has insisted that all charges against him are a plot by his rivals to prevent him from returning to office. Lawyer Faisal Chaudhry added that the court verdict could be appealed in higher courts.
Shortly after the verdict was announced, lawmakers from Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party held a rally outside parliament in the capital Islamabad. Protesters, including Omar Ayub Khan, a senior party leader, said Khan had been punished unfairly.
This is a bogus case, and we will approach an appeals court against this decision.
Imran Khan was ousted in a vote of no confidence in parliament in April 2022. He was previously convicted on three separate sentences on charges of corruption, disclosing state secrets and breaching marriage laws.
He was sentenced to 10, 14 and seven years respectively. However, under Pakistani law, he must serve his sentence concurrently, for the period of the longest conviction.
The latest verdict came a day after the PTI held a crucial round of talks with representatives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government. The PTI demanded the release of all political prisoners, including Khan and other party leaders.
