Imran Khan sentenced to 14 years in corruption case
What's the story
Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for corruption in the Al-Qadir University Project Trust.
His wife, Bushra Bibi, was sentenced to seven years by an accountability court functioning from Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.
The court also imposed a fine of 1 million Pakistani rupees ($3,500) on Khan and half of that on Bibi.
Legal backlash
Khan's lawyer criticizes verdict, alleges 'bogus persecution'
The verdict was pronounced by a court based in Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, where Khan has been imprisoned since August 2023.
The court had reserved its verdict in December and postponed the announcement thrice.
Bibi was arrested from the court premises after the verdict.
This is Khan's fourth major conviction. His previous convictions of selling state gifts, leaking state secrets, and unlawful marriage were overturned/suspended.
Legal backlash
Khan's lawyer criticizes verdict, alleges 'bogus persecution'
The charge sheet accused Khan and his wife of procuring land worth millions of US dollars from Malik Riaz, a wealthy Pakistani property mogul, for the Al-Qadir Trust's nonprofit educational institute for the poor.
Pakistan's anti-corruption agency, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), alleged that Khan made a quid pro quo pact with Riaz that allowed him to launder almost $239 million.
This allegedly resulted in enormous losses to the national treasury.
Political developments
Khan's ousting and ongoing negotiations with Sharif's government
According to the NAB, Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) government provided legal cover to Riaz's black money, which was recovered by the UK National Crime Agency and turned over to the Pakistani government.
Khan was removed from office in April 2022 via a parliamentary vote of no confidence, which he alleges was planned by Pakistan's military and the United States—charges both deny.