Pakistan: Former PM Imran Khan sentenced to 14 years and Bushra Bibi to 7 years

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Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has been sentenced to 14 years in prison in the 190 million pound Al-Qadir Trust corruption case. While his wife Bushra Bibi has also been sentenced to 7 years in prison. A heavy fine has also been imposed on them. Earlier, the court had postponed the decision on the sentence thrice. Leaders associated with the party say that they will go to the Supreme Court against this.

Along with its verdict, the court also ordered the arrest of Imran's wife Bushra Bibi. She was present in Adiala Jail to hear the verdict, where the police surrounded her for formal arrest and then arrested her.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed a case against Imran Khan (72) and Bushra Bibi (50) and 6 others in December 2023, accusing them of causing a loss of 190 million pounds (about 50 billion Pakistani rupees) to the national exchequer. The case was run against Imran and Bushra as all the other accused, including a property dealer, are out of the country.

Judge Nasir Javed Rana pronounced the important verdict today in a temporary court in Adiala Jail. Whereas before this the decision on the sentence has been postponed 3 times. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh on Imran and Rs 5 lakh on Bushra. In case of not paying the fine, they will be sentenced to 6 months in jail. The verdict was pronounced amid tight security outside Adiala Jail, after which Bushra was arrested from the court room itself.

Earlier, the Anti-Corruption Court of Islamabad had fixed January 17 as the date for pronouncing the verdict. According to local media reports, Justice Nasir Javed Rana had completed the hearing of the case on December 18 last year, while he had reserved the date of December 23 for pronouncing the verdict. Later, he fixed January 6 as the date for pronouncing the verdict.

If there is a fair decision, he will be acquitted: PTI chairman

Justice Rana was on leave on January 6, so the verdict was postponed till January 13. Then the Justice once again postponed the announcement of the verdict till January 17, citing the absence of the accused in the court.

The Khan couple was indicted in the case on February 27 last year, soon after the general elections. Speaking to the media outside Adiala Jail before the verdict, PTI chairman Barrister Gauhar Ali Khan had said, "You can imagine the injustice done in the last two years. If there is a fair verdict, Imran and Bushra will be acquitted."

In the case, it was alleged that Imran and Bushra Bibi acquired billions of rupees and hundreds of kanals of land from Bahria Town Limited and it was also alleged that Rs 50 billion returned to Pakistan by Britain's National Crime Agency as part of an agreement with a property dealer was misused.

Many cases are going on against Imran Khan

On 23 December, the day the verdict was to be pronounced, the Anti-Corruption Court in Islamabad postponed its verdict in the case to 6 January due to winter vacations. Then on 6 January, the verdict could not be pronounced because Justice Rana, who was hearing the case, was on leave. In the next hearing on 13 January, the Justice cited Imran and Bushra's failure to appear before the court in Adiala Jail as the reason for the delay.

Imran has been in jail since 2023. He is in jail for several legal cases, which he claims are “politically motivated” against him. Last year, he was acquitted in the Toshakhana and Iddat cases, but a new charge was imposed on him in the Toshakhana 2 case.