Imran Khan, wife sentenced to jail in corruption case
On January 17, 2025, former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were sentenced to prison in a significant corruption case involving allegations of abuse of power and misuse of authority related to the Al-Qadir University Project Trust. Khan received a 14-year prison sentence, while Bushra was sentenced to 7 years
Details of the Case: The accountability court found the couple guilty of accepting land as a bribe from Malik Riaz, a prominent real estate tycoon, in exchange for facilitating the laundering of funds totaling approximately £190 million (around $240 million) that had been returned to Pakistan by British authorities. The court also imposed fines of 1 million Pakistani rupees (approximately $3,500) on Khan and 500,000 rupees on Bushra. Failure to pay these fines could result in additional prison time.
This verdict marks the fourth major legal case against Khan since his ousting from office through a no-confidence vote in April 2022. He has previously faced multiple convictions related to corruption and other charges, many of which have been overturned or suspended. Khan has consistently claimed that the legal actions against him are politically motivated attempts to undermine his political influence and prevent his return to power.
Following the sentencing, Bushra was taken into custody immediately after the court’s ruling. Khan, who has been imprisoned since August 2023, continues to assert his innocence and has vowed to fight against what he describes as a politically orchestrated campaign against him and his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
