Imran Khan jailed for 14 years in corruption case

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for corruption, the latest in a series of charges against him. This is the longest effective sentence the former cricket star-turned-politician has received since being detained in August 2023.

He faces over 100 charges, ranging from leaking state secrets to selling state gifts, all of which he claims are politically motivated. Pakistani authorities say the latest case is one of the largest the country has seen, though the nation has a history of massive financial scandals, some involving former leaders.

Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, are accused of accepting a plot of land as a bribe from a real estate tycoon through the Al-Qadir Trust, which they established during their time in power. Investigators say that in exchange, Khan used £190 million ($232 million) repatriated by the UK's National Crime Agency to pay off the tycoon's court fines.

Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party argues that the land was donated to the trust for the establishment of a spiritual education center, not for Khan's personal benefit. PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan posted on X that the former prime minister "did nothing wrong" and that this was a "politically motivated injustice." He wrote: "But (Imran Khan) will not bow down, he will not give up, he will not break."

Before Friday's verdict, Khan's party had several talks with the government, leading to multiple delays in the verdict. After being convicted on Friday, Khan told reporters in court that he would "neither make any deal nor seek any relief." The 14-year sentence Khan received is the maximum possible for the case. He was also fined over £4,000. His wife was sentenced to 7 years and fined over £2,000. Bibi, who had been on bail since last October, was detained in court after the sentencing.

In 2023, Khan was sentenced to three years in prison for failing to declare income from the sale of gifts during his time in office. Last year, Khan was sentenced to 14 years for selling state gifts and 10 years for leaking state secrets. Both of these sentences were suspended after a few months. Despite being imprisoned and banned from holding public office, Khan remains a significant figure in Pakistani politics. In last year's elections, candidates backed by Imran Khan won the most seats of any party.

The prosecution of Khan has sparked mass protests by his supporters, which have been met with a crackdown by authorities. Thousands of protesters have been arrested, and many have been injured in clashes with police.