A court has sentenced former prime minister Imran Khan (pic) and his wife Bushra Bibi to 17 years in prison each in a corruption case involving the under-priced purchase of luxury state gifts, the court and Khan’s lawyers said.
The latest conviction adds to a series of legal troubles for Khan, who has been behind bars since August 2023 and is currently serving a 14-year sentence in a separate land graft case.
He faces dozens of cases filed since he was ousted from office in 2022, ranging from corruption to anti-terrorism and state secrets charges.
Khan has denied wrongdoing in all the cases, which his party says are politically motivated.
“The court announced the sentence without hearing the defence and sentenced 17 years imprisonment to Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi with heavy fines,” said Khan’s family lawyer Rana Mudassar Umer.
They were handed 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment under Pakistan’s penal code for criminal breach of trust and a further seven years under anti-corruption laws.
Khan’s jail term from the ruling would begin after he has served 14 years from the land graft case.
Zulfi Bukhari, a spokesman for Khan, said the verdict “ignores basic principles of justice” and turns the process into “a tool for selective prosecution.” — Reuters
