Pakistan Court Sentences Imran Khan and Wife to 17 Years in Corruption Case
A special court in Pakistan has sentenced former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, to 17 years in prison each for corruption related to high-value state gifts.
Rana Mudassir Umar, a lawyer for Khan’s family, told Reuters on Saturday that the verdict was issued without hearing the defense, and in addition to the lengthy prison terms, heavy financial penalties were also imposed on the couple.
According to the ruling issued by the special court under Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency, the couple was sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for breach of trust under Pakistan’s Penal Code, and a further seven years under anti-corruption laws.
Zulfi Bukhari, a spokesperson for Imran Khan, described the decision as a blatant violation of basic principles of justice and warned that such actions encourage selective prosecution.
Meanwhile, Salman Safdar, one of Khan’s defense lawyers, told reporters outside the prison where court sessions were held that Khan had instructed his legal team to appeal the ruling in the Islamabad High Court.
In a separate statement, Pakistan’s Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Attaullah Tarar, said that the new sentence against Imran Khan would begin only after he completes a 14-year prison term from a previous case involving land embezzlement.
It is worth noting that in January, another Pakistani court found Khan and his wife guilty in a separate corruption case, sentencing them to 14 and seven years in prison respectively. Both are currently serving time in prison.
