Rawalpindi: Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan has been sentenced to 14 years in jail in the high-profile land corruption case Al-Qadir Trust. Bushra Bibi, his wife, was handed a seven-year sentence in the same case. Judge Nasir Javed Rana handed down the verdict in a makeshift court at Adiala Gaol, where Khan has been locked up since August 2023.
It also fined Khan one million Pakistani rupees (about £2,800), while Bushra Bibi was hit with 500,000 rupees (about £1,400).
.The case is one of the biggest financial misconduct cases in Pakistan’s history, with investors accusing Khan and his wife of using government money for personal use. But in December 2023, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) filed charges against the couple and six other individuals, saying the couple had caused a loss of 190 million pounds (about 50 billion Pakistani rupees, $590 million) to the national treasury.
A major part of the case revolves around allegations that Khan and Bibi bought land from property tycoon Malik Riaz Hussain in return for legalizing 50 billion rupees that were returned to Pakistan by Britain’s National Crime Agency. The money, meant for the state, was allegedly diverted to be used for the benefit of Hussain, who helped the couple start up the Al-Qadir University in Jhelum.
As a trustee of the charity, Al-Qadir Trust, Bibi is accused of benefiting personally in this regard, acquiring 458 kanals of land for the university.
Following a series of legal challenges for Khan since being ousted from power in April 2022, the verdict was postponed three times. His defense has been that all charges are politically motivated attempts to stop him returning to office.
Khan’s conviction comes on top of previous sentences stemming from corruption, revealing official secrets, and violating marriage laws.
These sentences are to run concurrently under Pakistani law: Khan will serve the longest term, 14 years.The case has major political and legal implications for Pakistan, likely redefining the country’s political landscape and establishing a legal precedent for fighting corruption. While we still don’t know all the implications, the situation promises to be consequential for transparency in government and future legal processes in the country.