Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan has been sentenced to 14 years in prison, while his wife, Bushra Bibi, received a seven-year sentence.
The charges stem from the controversial Al-Qadir University Project Trust, with both Khan and Bibi accused of corruption and misuse of power. Khan has also been slapped with a fine of 1 million Pakistani rupees (around $3,500), while Bibi faces a fine of 500,000 rupees.
This ruling, delivered by an accountability court operating out of the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on Friday, where Khan has been incarcerated since August 2023, marks the latest chapter in a saga that has gripped the nation.
The verdict was initially reserved in December 2023, with several delays before it was finally announced. Bibi’s arrest came shortly after the court session, and Khan, who had not appeared for the third delay in January 2024, previously accused the judicial system of using these delays as a form of political pressure.
This latest conviction marks the fourth time Khan has faced charges. His previous three convictions, which involved accusations of selling state gifts, leaking state secrets, and unlawful marriage, were either overturned or suspended. Despite these legal setbacks, Khan remains behind bars, with numerous charges still pending—a situation he has fervently labeled a political witch-hunt, designed to sideline his influence.
Khan’s arrest in May 2023, linked to the Al-Qadir Trust, sparked nationwide protests and violent riots. His supporters, who have been unwavering in their defense of the former leader, view his imprisonment as part of a larger plot to stifle Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), the party he founded.
Khan’s lawyer, Faisal Fareed Chaudhry, wasted no time in condemning the conviction. He referred to the case as part of an ongoing “bogus persecution” against Khan and Bibi, asserting that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) failed to prove any financial loss to the state. Chaudhry also questioned the legitimacy of the case, pointing out that no evidence linked the establishment of the Al-Qadir Trust to any personal financial gain for Khan or his family. “The entire case is politically motivated,” he said, adding that the prosecution had failed to show how establishing a trust could constitute a conflict of interest.
PTI echoed their lawyer’s sentiments, asserting that the case against Khan and his wife is without merit. “There is no solid foundation in the Al-Qadir Trust case,” the party said in a statement, stressing that evidence and witness testimonies demonstrate that no wrongdoing took place. According to PTI, Khan and Bibi were merely trustees of the project with no personal involvement in any alleged wrongdoing.
At the heart of the case lies the charge that Khan and his wife secured land worth billions of rupees (millions of dollars) from Malik Riaz, a powerful property tycoon, to establish a nonprofit educational institute under the Al-Qadir Trust. The NAB claims that Khan, during his tenure as Prime Minister from 2018 to 2022, brokered a quid pro quo arrangement with Riaz, facilitating the laundering of $239 million. This, they allege, led to substantial losses to Pakistan’s national treasury.
The charges are rooted in a broader narrative that has plagued Khan since his ousting from power in April 2022. His removal, orchestrated through a parliamentary vote of no confidence, has been a point of contention for Khan, who maintains that he was the victim of a conspiracy involving the Pakistani military and the United States—allegations that have been strongly denied by both the military and Washington.
Khan’s tumultuous relationship with the military, once his strongest ally and a key player in his rise to power, has become a focal point of his political narrative. The military’s role in Pakistan’s governance has been a topic of intense debate, with the institution holding significant sway over the country’s politics. No prime minister in Pakistan’s history has been able to complete a full term, with military dictatorships repeatedly stepping in to take control.
