Pakistan’s Imran Khan handed more prison time for graft

A Pakistani court sentenced former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to 17 years in prison each in a corruption case involving the purchase of luxury government gifts at low prices.

The latest conviction adds to a series of legal problems for Khan, who has been behind bars since August 2023 and faces dozens of cases ranging from corruption to counter-terrorism to state secret charges since his ouster in 2022.

The former cricket star has denied any wrongdoing in all the cases, which his party said were politically motivated.

“The court announced the sentence without hearing the defense and sentenced Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi to 17 years in prison along with heavy fines,” Khan’s family’s lawyer Rana Mudassar Uemr Umer told Reuters on Saturday.

The court said the defendants were sentenced to a fine of 16.4 million rupees ($88,000) each, along with 10 years in prison for criminal breach of trust under Pakistan’s penal code and a further seven years in prison under anti-corruption laws.

The case concerns luxury watches gifted to Khan by Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his official visits; Khan and his wife then bought it from the government at a heavily discounted price, in violation of Pakistan’s gift rules, prosecutors said.

The case is separate from an earlier state gifts case linked to Khan’s arrest in August 2023. ​

The 14-year sentences given to Khan and the seven-year sentences given to Bushra Bibi were later suspended on appeal.

The couple denies wrongdoing.

The cases are commonly known as Toshakhana cases in Pakistan and refer to the government repository where gifts received by public officials are kept.

Former cricket star-turned-politician Khan remains one of Pakistan’s most polarizing figures, his legal battles continuing as his Pakistan ‍Tehreek-e-Insaf party remains out of power.