Ex Pakistan PM Imran Khan Sentenced to 14 Years, Wife Gets 7 Years for Graft
Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were convicted on Friday in a high-profile corruption case. The anti-corruption court sentenced Khan to 14 years in prison and Bibi to seven years.
The case centers around allegations related to a welfare foundation the couple established, the Al-Qadir Trust. Prosecutors successfully argued that the couple misused the foundation for personal gain, leading to their convictions. Judge Nasir Rana, who oversaw the case, declared, “The prosecution has proven its case. Khan is convicted.”
Khan, who has been in custody since August 2023, has faced nearly 200 charges in total. However, his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), insists the charges are politically motivated and designed to silence the former premier. Speaking from the courtroom after the verdict, Khan vehemently rejected any possibility of negotiating a deal, stating, “I will neither make any deal nor seek any relief.”
The trial took place inside the prison near Islamabad, where Khan is currently incarcerated. His party believes the conviction, which has been delayed multiple times in recent weeks, is part of a broader strategy to force him into accepting a political compromise with the military establishment—an influence Khan has sharply criticized since being ousted from office in 2022.
This latest conviction adds to Khan’s troubled legal record. While he has faced previous charges, including four other convictions (two of which were overturned, and the others suspended), Khan has remained in prison as several cases are still pending. His legal team and political allies argue the charges are part of a concerted effort to bar him from returning to politics, especially as Pakistan prepares for crucial elections in the coming months.
In a report last year, a United Nations panel of experts concluded that Khan’s detention lacked legal justification and appeared to be aimed at disqualifying him from running in future elections. Despite being barred from standing in the February election, Khan’s PTI party secured more seats than any other party. However, a coalition government, perceived as more aligned with military interests, effectively shut them out of power.
