Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, wife sentenced to 14 years in graft case

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, have been handed a joint sentence of 14 years in prison on charges of corruption. The verdict, delivered just a week before the national elections, compounds Khan’s legal troubles, with a previous 10-year sentence related to leaking state secrets.

The judgment was met with criticism from Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, describing it as “another sad day in our judicial system history, which is being dismantled.” The sentencing follows a trial held inside the jail where Khan has been detained since his arrest in August.

While it remains unclear whether the sentences are to run consecutively or concurrently, Khan’s lawyer, Salman Safdar, confirmed the simultaneous sentencing of both Khan and his wife. Bibi, a faith healer who married Khan in 2018, had been on remand throughout the trial.

With 127 million eligible voters gearing up for the elections on Thursday, the timing of the verdict adds a layer of complexity to the political climate. Despite being squeezed out of the limelight, Khan and PTI continue to be at the center of debate.

The election process has already faced allegations of rigging, and Khan’s disqualification from running due to a prior graft conviction has raised concerns about the fairness of the electoral process. His party has also been subjected to a massive crackdown, contributing to the contentious atmosphere.

Since his ouster in 2022, Khan has been entangled in a web of court cases, which he claims are attempts to prevent his return to office after his defiant campaign against Pakistan’s military kingmakers. Accusing the powerful military of orchestrating his removal in a US-backed conspiracy, Khan’s arrest in May last year led to widespread riots across the country.

However, a subsequent military crackdown dampened Khan’s street power, resulting in the detention of thousands of supporters and the forced underground status of numerous senior leaders. Despite these challenges, Khan urged his followers to seek justice through their votes on February 8, emphasizing their collective refusal to be driven like “sheep with a stick.”

The unfolding legal saga surrounding Imran Khan adds a layer of uncertainty to the political landscape, leaving many to question the integrity of the upcoming elections.