Imran Khan was sentenced to 14 years for corruption
Former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for a corruption case, the latest in a series of charges against him.
This is the longest effective prison sentence for a cricket star-turned-politician, ever detained since August 2023received.
He has faced charges in more than 100 cases, from leaking state secrets to selling state gifts – all of which he has criticized as politically motivated.
The latest incident was described by Pakistani authorities as the biggest the country has ever seen – although the country has seen major financial scandals in the past, some involving former leader.
Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi are accused of accepting a plot of land as a bribe from a real estate tycoon through the Al-Qadir Trust, which the couple founded while he was in office.
In return, investigators said, Khan used 190 million pounds ($232 million) repatriated by Britain’s National Crime Agency to pay the tycoon’s fine.
Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party argued that the land was donated to a trust for a spiritual education center and was not used for Khan’s personal benefit.
In a post on X, PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan said that the former prime minister “did nothing wrong” and that this was a “politically motivated unfair trial”.
“But [Imran Khan] will not give in, he will not give up, he will not fall,” he wrote.
Friday’s ruling came after several delays as Khan’s party held talks with the government.
After being sentenced Friday, Khan told reporters in the courtroom that he would “not take any deal nor seek any relief.”
Khan’s 14-year prison sentence was the maximum sentence that could have been imposed in the case. He was also fined more than £4,000.
His wife was sentenced to seven years and fined more than £2,000. Bibi, who was released on bail last October, was detained in court after her sentence was announced.
In 2023, Khan was sentenced to 3 years in prison for failing to declare the money he earned from selling gifts he received while in office.
Last year, Khan received a 14-year prison sentence for selling state gifts. 10 years from now for leaking state secrets. Both of those sentences were suspended several months later.
Despite being in prison and barred from holding public office, Khan remained looms large over Pakistan’s political landscape. Last year’s election saw candidates backed by Imran Khan won the most seats among all parties.
Khan’s prosecution sparked large-scale protests by his supporters – already encountered government repression. Thousands of protesters were arrested and many injured in clashes with police.
