Imran Khan and wife sentenced to 17-year jail terms in another corruption case
Bailiff Bukhari
Lahore: A Pakistani court on Saturday sentenced former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to 17 years in prison each in a corruption case involving the underpriced purchase of luxury state gifts, the court and Khan’s lawyers said.
The latest conviction has added to a string of legal problems for Khan, who has been behind bars since August 2023 and is currently serving a 14-year prison sentence in a separate land corruption case.
He faces dozens of cases since his ouster in 2022, from corruption to anti-terrorism and state secret charges. Khan has denied any wrongdoing in all the cases, which his party said were politically motivated.
Rana, the lawyer of Khan’s family, said, “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.”
Mudassar Umer told Reuters.
In the decision of the special court of the Federal Investigation Agency of Pakistan, it was stated that the defendants were sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment for breach of trust under the Pakistani criminal code and an additional seven years of imprisonment under the anti-corruption laws.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Khan’s prison sentence after Saturday’s verdict will begin after he has served 14 years in prison from the land bribery case.
The case concerns luxury watches gifted to Khan by Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his official visits. Prosecutors said Khan and his wife then bought the watches from the government at a deeply discounted price, violating Pakistan’s gift rules.
Tarrar said the purchase resulted in a loss of several million rupees to the state.
Khan’s spokesman, Zulfi Bukhari, said the decision “ignored the basic principles of justice” and turned the process into a “tool of selective prosecution”. According to Geo News, Salman Safdar, one of Khan’s lawyers who told his legal team to appeal the decision in the Islamabad High Court, told reporters in front of the prison where the hearings were held.
Another State Gift Conviction
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.
Following the verdict, Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party announced plans to protest in Punjab on Sunday.
Khan’s party also said routine family and legal visits have been blocked in recent weeks despite court orders. Authorities deny any ill-treatment and say he enjoyed all the facilities offered to prisoners.
Former cricket star-turned-politician Khan remains one of Pakistan’s most polarizing figures, and his legal battles continue as his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party remains out of power.
Reuters
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