Imran Khan, Wife Sentenced To 17 Years Over State Gifts Case

A special court in Pakistan on Saturday, December 20, sentenced former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, to 17 years in prison each in a corruption case involving alleged misuse of state gifts, according to Pakistani media reports.

The court also imposed fines of 16.4 million Pakistani rupees on both defendants, warning that failure to pay would result in additional imprisonment. The verdict was announced after hearings held at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.

Presiding Judge Shah Rukh Arjumand delivered the ruling following more than 80 hearings conducted inside the high-security prison. The case centres on allegations that the couple committed fraud in connection with state gifts received from Saudi Arabia in 2021.

Pakistan's Dawn newspaper reported that the court took into account Khan's advanced age and Bushra Bibi's status as a woman, noting that these factors influenced the decision to impose a comparatively lenient sentence.

Legal teams representing Khan and his wife said they would challenge the verdict in higher courts, maintaining that the case is politically motivated. Both defendants were charged in December last year and formally denied all allegations during court proceedings in October.

Imran Khan has been in custody since August 2023 and is currently serving a separate 14-year sentence at Adiala Jail in a corruption case involving £190 million, according to court documents.

The latest conviction adds to Khan's mounting legal challenges and deepens political tensions in Pakistan, as his supporters continue to accuse authorities of using the judicial process to sideline the former prime minister from public life.

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