Ex-Pak PM Imran Khan gets 14 years in jail in £190 million land corruption case

Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan was sentenced to 14 years in prison, and his wife Bushra Bibi to seven years in a corruption case involving the Al-Qadir University Project Trust.

In Short

• Wife Bushra Bibi also convicted, gets 7-year jail term
• National Accountability Bureau filed case for loss to exchequer
• Imran Khan denies charges, claims case "politically motivated"

Former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were convicted on Friday in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust land corruption case, with the cricketer-turned-politician receiving a 14-year jail term.

The court sentenced Bushra Bibi to seven years in prison and also imposed fines of 1 million Pakistani rupees on Khan and 500,000 Pakistani rupees on his spouse. This marks the fourth major case in which the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief has been convicted.

Pakistan’s National Accountability Bureau (NAB) filed the case in December 2023 against Khan, 72, Bibi, 50, and six others, accusing them of causing a loss of £190 million (50 billion Pakistani rupees) to the national exchequer.

However, only Khan and Bibi have been prosecuted, as the other accused, including a prominent property tycoon, are currently outside Pakistan, reported Dawn.

The allegations centre on claims that Khan and Bushra Bibi facilitated the transfer of billions of rupees and hundreds of kanals of land from Bahria Town Ltd in exchange for legalising 50 billion rupees returned to Pakistan by the United Kingdom during Khan’s tenure. The funds, intended for the national treasury, were allegedly diverted for personal benefit, including the establishment of Al-Qadir University in Jhelum.

As a trustee of the Al-Qadir Trust, Bushra Bibi is accused of directly benefiting from the settlement, notably acquiring 458 kanals of land for the university. NAB’s reference alleged that Khan played a “pivotal role in the illicit transfer of funds meant for the state” into a private account used to pay for Bahria Town land in Karachi.

Khan, who is currently lodged in prison, has denied the charges, calling them “politically motivated.” He was previously incarcerated in 2023 on multiple legal cases, although he was acquitted in high-profile Toshakhana and unlawful marriage cases.

NAB prosecutors argued that Khan and Bibi refused to provide justifications or documentation regarding the transactions, acting with “mala fide intention.”

Khan was first arrested in the Al-Qadir Trust case in May 2023, spending less than 48 hours in custody. The arrest sparked widespread protests across the country, with the former PM's supporters rioting in several cities.