Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, has received a 14-year prison sentence for corruption. This is the most recent of multiple allegations filed against him.
This is the longest legitimate prison sentence earned by the cricket star-turned-politician, incarcerated since August 2023.
He has been charged in more than 100 cases, including disclosing state secrets and selling public gifts. All of which he has condemned as politically motivated.
Pakistani officials have characterized the most recent case as the greatest in the nation’s history despite previous significant financial scandals involving senior leaders.
Khan and his spouse, Bushra Bibi, allegedly accepted a block of property as a bribe from a real estate magnate via the Al-Qadir Trust, which the couple established during his tenure in office.
The Financial Landscape of Legal Settlements:
What You Need to Know According to investigators, Khan paid off his court fines with £190 million ($232 million), which the UK’s National Crime Agency repatriated repatriated.
Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party contended that the land was bequeathed to the trust for a spiritual education institution and was not utilized for Khan’s benefit.
Gohar Ali Khan, chairman of the PTI, wrote on X that the ex-prime minister “has committed no wrongdoing” and called the prosecution a “politically motivated unjust trial.”
“However, [Imran Khan] will not capitulate, he will not relent, he will not succumb,” he articulated.
Negotiations between the government and Khan’s party caused multiple delays, but the verdict was finally handed down on Friday.
Following his conviction on Friday, Khan told reporters in the courtroom that he would “neither negotiate any settlement nor pursue any form of relief.”
Khan’s maximum prison sentence in this case is 14 years. He has also received a fine exceeding £4,000.
His spouse, Bibi, received a seven-year term and a £2,000 monetary penalty. Upon being announced guilty, she was remanded into custody in the courtroom. She has been released on bond since last October.
In 2023, Khan received a three-year prison sentence for neglecting to disclose income derived from the sale of goods obtained during his tenure in office.
Khan was sentenced to 14 years in prison for selling state goods and an additional 10 years for disclosing state secrets. Several months later, both sentences were suspended.
Notwithstanding his incarceration and prohibition from public service, Khan continues to exert significant influence over Pakistan’s political landscape. In the previous year’s election, candidates supported by Ihan secured the most votes among all parties.
Khan’s trial has incited widespread protests from his followers, which have been met with a governmental crackdown. Numerous demonstrators have been apprehended, and many have sustained injuries during confrontations with law enforcement.
The Role of Women in Pakistani Politics: Bushra Bibi’s Case
The PTI founder’s wife, Bushra Bibi, was in the court. Following the verdict announcement, she was apprehended, and sources indicated that her cell in Adiala jail had already been readied.
The founder of PTI must pay a Rs1 million fee, while his spouse has been fined Rs0.5 million. If they neglect to remit the fine, the former prime minister will serve an additional six months, while Bushra will serve three months.
Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi and his National Accountability Bureau (NAB) staff attended the crucial hearing, along with Barristers Gohar Khan, Shoaib Shaheen, Salman Akram Raja, and other legal representatives.
With a committal warrant in hand, she and her already-incarcerated husband were sent to fulfill their terms by the prison superintendent.
Both offenders were issued certified copies of the verdict to facilitate their potential appeal.
The ruling found former Prime Minister Imran guilty of “corrupt practices” and “abuse of power.” While the First Lady was found guilty of “participation in unlawful activities.” The court mandated that the state hand over control of Al-Qadir Trust University to the US government.
According to the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999, Section 9(a)(ii)(iv)(vi) for corruption and corrupt practices. Imran was declared guilty by the court. According to Section 9(a)(xii) of the same ordinance, Bushra was convicted of “aiding, assisting, and abetting” deceit and corrupt activities.
Imran Khan continues to influence Pakistan’s political landscape despite a year of incarceration.
Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, has been incarcerated for a year, yet at times this fact may seem inconspicuous.
Mr. Khan is the preeminent figure in Pakistan’s opposition politics. His name remains prominent in the media and legal proceedings, and his fans on social media have remained unwavering.
A few individuals were permitted to visit the former cricket star without public appearances. His attorneys and family—have become his intermediaries for communication with the outside world. They are eager to convey that his 365 days of incarceration have left him undaunted.
Aleema Khanum, Imran Khan’s sister, remarks, “He still possesses a certain swagger.” “He possesses neither needs nor desires—only a purpose.”
Visitors report that Mr. Khan enjoys exercising, reading, and contemplating on his bike. He also strolls around the courtyard for one hour each day. However, there have been intermittent disputes about how promptly the family can supply him with new books.
He stated, “I will not squander a moment of my incarceration.” “It presents an opportunity for me to acquire additional knowledge,” Ms. Khanum informs the BBC.
There is still no word on when Mr. Khan and Bushra Bibi will be released.
This is hardly shocking to some.
Michael Kugelman, head of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Centre think tank in Washington, states. “There was no anticipation that Mr. Khan would undertake any actions to facilitate his release from incarceration.”
The military, a significant covert influence in Pakistan, “does not relent when they identify a political figure they wish to incarcerate,” states Mr. Kugelman. “This has been particularly true regarding Khan.”
The military has been pivotal to Mr. Khan’s fluctuations throughout the past decade. Numerous commentators contend that his early rapport with the military establishment facilitated his ascension to power.
However, the country was in disarray on 9 May of the previous year. Mr. Khan, who had been removed from power in a motion of no confidence in 2022, was imprisoned, prompting his fans to protest.
Certain rallies escalated into violence, resulting in assaults on military installations, including the official mansion of the highest-ranking army official in Lahore, which was vandalized and ignited.
Subsequently, BBC sources reported that media organizations in Pakistan were instructed not to display his images, utter his name, or broadcast his voice.
Mr. Khan was released, albeit only for a brief period of a few months.
On 5 August, he was incarcerated once more for inaccurately reporting the sale of state gifts, marking merely the commencement of further issues.
In the lead-up to the election, the charges against him escalated; by early February—mere days before the vote—the 71-year-old had received three lengthy prison sentences. The most recent being 14 years.
At the time of the election, numerous candidates from Mr. Khan’s PTI party were either incarcerated or in hiding, and the party was deprived of its iconic cricket bat symbol—a crucial identity in a nation with a 58% literacy rate.
Notwithstanding, Salman Akram Raja, Mr. Khan’s attorney and electoral candidate, asserts, “We were resolute and aimed to convey a message.”
“It was highly restricted.” Many could not, and losing the cricket bat emblem was a considerable setback.
All candidates ran as independents. However, expectations were low, even among party members.