This development deals another blow to Khan, who has been imprisoned since 2023....Read Full Article >>➤
A Pakistani court handed down a significant sentence to former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife on Friday, convicting them of corruption and sentencing them to 14 and 7 years in prison, respectively, AP reports. This development deals another blow to Khan, who has been imprisoned since 2023.
The charges against the couple stem from allegations that they accepted a gift of land from a real estate tycoon in exchange for laundered money during Khan’s premiership from 2018 to 2022. Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, had pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following the verdict, Khan vowed not to seek any relief or make a deal with authorities, according to AFP.
Prosecutors allege that businessman Malik Riaz was permitted by Khan to use laundered funds—amounting to 190 million British pounds ($240 million) returned to Pakistan by British authorities in 2022—to pay fines imposed on him in a separate case.
Khan has denied any wrongdoing, maintaining since his 2023 arrest that the charges against him are a conspiracy by political rivals to block his return to office.
According to Faisal Chaudhry, a defence lawyer, the court’s verdict is not set in stone and can be contested in superior courts.
This development comes as lawmakers from Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party staged a protest outside the parliament in Islamabad, claiming the former premier was unfairly penalised shortly after the verdict was announced.
“This is a bogus case, and we will approach an appeals court against this decision,” said Omar Ayub Khan, a senior party leader who is not related to the former premier.
Imran Khan’s tumultuous political career took a downturn in April 2022 when he was ousted from power through a no-confidence vote in parliament.
Prior to this, Khan had faced several convictions on charges of corruption, revealing official secrets, and violating marriage laws, resulting in sentences of 10, 14, and seven years, respectively.
Fortunately for Khan, Pakistani law allows him to serve these sentences concurrently, which means he’ll only have to serve the length of the longest sentence.
On Thursday, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar told reporters in Islamabad that there is “irrefutable evidence” implicating Khan and his wife in the “mega corruption scandal.”
Tarar alleged that Khan failed to inform his Cabinet about the funds returned to Pakistan by Britain.
He further claimed that Khan constructed a sprawling new house in Lahore after granting favours to the business tycoon and has been unable to provide proof of the source of the funds used for the construction. ...Read Full Article >>➤
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