In a significant development, a Pakistani court has sentenced former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to 17 years in prison for retaining and selling state gifts, including jewelry from Saudi Arabia’s government. The couple pleaded not guilty when they were indicted last year.
ISLAMABAD (AP) — A Pakistani court convicted and sentenced imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi on Saturday to 17 years in prison after finding them guilty of retaining and selling state gifts, officials and his party said. The couple pleaded not guilty when they were indicted last year, as reported by Associated Press.
The court’s decision has sparked controversy, with Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, denouncing the ruling as “a black chapter in history” and claiming that the trial was not fair. The party’s senior leader, Omar Ayub, said on X that there was “no rule of law in Pakistan.” In contrast, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar stated that Khan and his wife were convicted and sentenced after the court examined solid evidence, and that the couple indulged in corruption, as cited by official government reports.
Khan, 73, was ousted in a no-confidence vote in April 2022 and his party is in opposition in the parliament. However, he remains popular in Pakistan. His party made a strong showing in the Feb. 8, 2024, parliamentary election but did not win a majority of the seats in the National Assembly, or lower house of the parliament. The party claimed the vote was rigged, a claim denied by the government.
Khan’s main political rival, Shehbaz Sharif, is the country’s current prime minister. Since his ouster, Khan has repeatedly alleged that his removal was the result of a U.S.-backed conspiracy carried out with the support of Pakistan’s powerful military — claims denied by Washington, the military, and his opponents, according to The Associated Press.
The former prime minister has been serving multiple prison terms since 2023 on corruption convictions and other charges that the former cricket star and his supporters have alleged are aimed at blocking his political career.
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