On Wednesday, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, and his wife were handed a 14-year jail sentence, according to local media. This verdict follows their conviction for graft in a case linked to gifts received during Khan’s time as the premier. The sentencing, just a week before national elections, occurs concurrently with a separate case where Khan received a 10-year prison term for the unauthorized disclosure of state secrets.
“It’s another unfortunate day in the history of our judicial system, which is undergoing dismantling,” conveyed a spokesperson for Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party to the media.
It remains unclear whether Khan’s sentences, issued after a trial conducted within the jail where he has been held since his arrest in August, will be served consecutively or concurrently. However, Khan’s lawyer, Salman Safdar, confirmed to AFP that he and his wife, Bushra Bibi, had both been sentenced. Bibi, who has been in remand throughout the trial, has not been arrested yet.
The couple, married in 2018 just months before Khan assumed the role of prime minister, faces legal challenges amid a contentious political landscape. Bushra Bibi, a faith healer who crossed paths with Khan seeking spiritual guidance, is seldom seen in public.
Despite being overshadowed by allegations of rigging, with Khan disqualified from running due to a prior graft conviction and his party enduring a significant crackdown, the upcoming election is pivotal. Approximately 127 million eligible Pakistani voters are set to cast their ballots next Thursday, with Khan and the PTI party remaining central to the discourse.
Since his ousting in 2022, Khan contends with a series of court cases, which he alleges are politically motivated to prevent his return to office after openly challenging Pakistan’s military. Khan, who previously accused the powerful military of orchestrating his removal in a US-backed conspiracy, experienced widespread unrest and riots across the country when initially arrested in May last year.
However, a military crackdown weakened his street influence, leading to the detention of thousands of supporters and the initiation of closed-door military trials for some. Despite the challenges, Khan urges voters to respond to perceived injustices, stating in a statement posted on his profile, “You have to take revenge for every injustice with your vote on February 8. Tell them that we are not sheep that can be driven with a stick.”
