Pakistani court sentences former PM Imran Khan and wife to 17 years in graft case

A Pakistani special court of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) convicted and sentenced imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi on Saturday to 17 years in prison after finding them guilty of retaining and selling state gifts, officials and his party said.

The couple pleaded not guilty when they were indicted last year. They were accused of selling the gifts, including jewellery from Saudi Arabia’s government, at prices far below their market value while he was in office.

The court verdict was pronounced by Special Judge Central Shahrukh Arjumand during a hearing held at Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail.

Both of them were also slapped with Rs16.4 million fines. As per the law, a failure to pay the fines will result in additional jail time. 

Prosecutors said Imran Khan and his wife declared the value of the gifts at a little over $10,000, far below their actual market value of $285,521, allowing them to purchase the items at a reduced price.

Under Pakistani law, for government officials and politicians to keep gifts received from foreign dignitaries, they must buy them at the assessed market value and declare any proceeds earned from selling them.

Imran Khan’s spokesperson, Zulfiquar Bukhari, said the verdict in the graft case ignored basic principles of justice.

In a statement, he said that the "criminal liability was imposed without proof of intent, gain, or loss, relying instead on a retrospective reinterpretation of rules.

Bukhari said the court ruling "raised serious questions about the fairness and impartiality of the process, turning justice into a tool for selective prosecution.”

'A BLACK CHAPTER IN HISTORY'

Imran Khan’s opposition Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf party denounced the verdict in a statement, calling it "a black chapter in history,” and said Khan was present in the court when the judge announced the verdict in the Adiala prison in the city of Rawalpindi.

The PTI, in a post on X, said that Imran Khan's family was not allowed inside the jail, where a "kangaroo court announced the verdict."

The party said "A closed-door jail trial is neither free nor fair; it is in fact a military trial."   The party said it also shared a video of Imran's sister Aleema Khan inside a car asking why she was not being allowed to proceed further. "They can't stop us. The jail trial is today," she said in the video, adding it was "illegal" that the family was being stopped.

Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik maintained that the verdict against Imran Khan and wife was "in line with the Constitution and the law."

Talking to a private TV channel, the minister stressed "There was no political side to this, if you violate the law, it is clear that a punishment is expected."

"During the trial that went on for 15-16 months, it was proven that PTI founder and his wife caused the national exchequer significant harm as the set's valuation was under-reported," Malik said and added "The gift was not even submitted." 

Imran Khan, imprisoned since August 2023, is serving a 14-year sentence at the Adiala jail in a £190 million corruption case and also faces pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act related to the protests of May 9, 2023.

Bushra Bibi is also serving a seven-year sentence in £190 million corruption case.

Imra Khan, 73, was ousted in a no-confidence vote in April 2022 and his party is in opposition in the parliament. He has been serving multiple prison terms since 2023 on corruption convictions and other charges that the former cricket star and his supporters have alleged are aimed at blocking his political career.

Agencies