Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for a corruption case, the latest in a series of charges against him.
The case has been described by Pakistani authorities as the largest the country has ever seen – even though the country has witnessed huge financial scandals in the past, including some involving former leaders.
It’s the latest setback for the cricket star-turned-politician, who was detained since August 2023.
He has faced charges in more than 100 cases, ranging from leaking state secrets to selling state gifts — all of which he has said were politically motivated.
In the latest case, Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were accused of receiving a plot of land as a bribe from a real estate tycoon through the Al-Qadir Trust, which the couple had created while in power.
In exchange, investigators say, Khan used £190 million ($232 million) repatriated by the U.K.’s National Crime Agency to pay the tycoon’s legal fines.
Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party argued that the land was given to the trust for a spiritual education center and was not used for Khan’s personal gain.
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“But [Imran Khan] he will not give in, he will not give up, he will not break,” he wrote.
Friday’s verdict comes after multiple delays as Khan’s party held talks with the government.
After his sentencing Friday, Khan told reporters in the courtroom that he “wouldn’t make any deals or seek relief.”
Khan’s 14-year prison sentence is the maximum sentence that could be imposed in this case. He was also fined more than £4,000.
His wife was sentenced to seven years in prison and fined more than £2,000. Bibi, on bail since last October, was taken into custody after her sentence was announced.
In 2023, Khan was sentenced to three years in prison for failing to declare money earned from the sale of gifts he received while in office.
Last year, Khan was sentenced to 14 years in prison for selling state gifts. 10 more years for disclosing state secrets. Both sentences were suspended months later.
Although he is in prison and banned from holding public office, Khan continues occupies an important place on the Pakistani political scene. Last year’s elections saw candidates supported by Imran Khan win the greatest number of seats among all parties.
The prosecution of Khan sparked large-scale protests from his supporters – who were encountered repression from the authorities. Thousands of protesters were arrested and many injured during clashes with police.
