Former Pakistan PM Khan, his wife, sentenced to 14 years in graft case

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife were sentenced Friday in a corruption case, marking another significant legal blow to the imprisoned politician who remains Pakistan’s most prominent opposition figure.

The anti-graft court, convening inside Adiala jail where Khan has been held since August, sentenced the former cricket star-turned-politician to 14 years in prison. His wife, Bushra Bibi, received a seven-year sentence in the case involving the Al-Qadir Trust, a welfare foundation the couple established together.

“I will neither make any deal nor seek any relief,” Khan declared in the courtroom after the verdict was announced by Judge Nasir Javed Rana.

Pakistan PM Khan in £190 million reference case

The case, known as the “£190 million reference,” centers on allegations that Khan’s government facilitated the return of funds identified by Britain’s National Crime Agency to a property tycoon in 2020.

Prosecutors alleged the couple received billions of rupees and valuable land for an educational institution in exchange, causing a $239 million loss to Pakistan’s treasury.

The conviction adds to Khan’s mounting legal challenges. Since his ouster from power in 2022, the former prime minister has faced approximately 200 criminal charges, which he maintains are politically motivated attempts to sideline him from Pakistani politics.

The verdict’s timing suggests the sentence might be leveraged to pressure Khan into a political compromise with Pakistan’s influential military establishment. Since losing power, Khan has notably intensified his criticism of the country’s military leadership.

The legitimacy of Khan’s detention was questioned by a U.N. panel of experts last year, which concluded it “had no legal basis and appears to have been intended to disqualify him from running for political office.”

Pakistan PM Khan’s party secured highest number of seats

Despite being barred from February’s election and facing a widespread crackdown, Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party secured the highest number of seats. However, a coalition of parties, viewed as more amenable to military influence, ultimately formed the government.

Bibi, described as a faith healer, was taken into custody at the courthouse following the verdict, according to her spokeswoman Mashal Yousafzai.

While Khan has previously received four convictions, two were overturned, and sentences in the other cases were suspended. He remains imprisoned as other cases proceed through Pakistan’s judicial system.