Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, have been sentenced to jail in the high-profile £190 million Al-Qadir University Project Trust corruption case. The verdict was delivered on Friday, with Khan receiving a 14-year prison sentence and Bushra Bibi a seven-year term.
The judgment was announced by Judge Nasir Javed Rana in a makeshift courtroom at Adiala Jail, where Imran Khan has been held since August 2023 on various legal charges. In addition to the jail sentences, fines of Rs 1 million and Rs 500,000 were imposed on Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi, respectively. Failure to pay the fines will result in an additional six months of imprisonment.
The case centers on allegations that Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi accepted billions of rupees and land worth hundreds of kanals from Bahria Town Ltd. in exchange for legalizing Rs 50 billion, a sum returned to Pakistan by the UK during Khan’s tenure as Prime Minister.
The couple was formally indicted in February 2024, shortly after Pakistan’s general elections. The trial saw multiple delays, including postponements due to winter vacations, the judge’s leave, and the couple’s failure to appear in court.
The judgment was delivered under heightened security at Adiala Jail, and Bushra Bibi was immediately arrested following the ruling. The courtroom proceedings and their outcome have sparked significant public and political attention.
Speaking to the media before the verdict, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan criticized the judicial process, calling the case a reflection of “injustice over the last two years.” He expressed hope for acquittal, arguing that the charges were politically motivated.
Imran Khan, who has faced numerous legal challenges since his removal from office, continues to claim that the cases against him are part of a political vendetta. While he was acquitted in the cipher and Iddat cases last year, he now faces new charges, including the Toshakhana 2 case.
The sentencing of Imran Khan, a former cricket star turned politician, and his wife marks a significant moment in Pakistan’s political landscape. As leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, Khan has remained a polarizing figure, with his supporters rallying behind him despite his legal troubles.
The verdict is likely to intensify political tensions in Pakistan, as Khan’s party and his supporters view the judgment as part of a broader effort to marginalize him from the country’s political arena.
With Bushra Bibi’s arrest and Imran Khan’s extended imprisonment, the couple’s future remains uncertain, as does the impact of this case on Pakistan’s ongoing political turmoil.