Corruption Receives Land From Real Estate Developer, Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan Sentenced To 14 Years In Prison

JAKARTA - A Pakistani court sentenced former Prime Minister Imran Khan to 14 years in prison on Friday in a land corruption case.

The verdict in the case was conveyed by an anti-corruption court in prison in the town of Rawalpindi's ring, where Khan has been jailed since August 2023.

Khan's wife, Bushra Bibi, was also found guilty and sentenced to 7 years in prison. She was released on bail but detained after the verdict was announced, Geo News reported.

Reported by Reuters on Friday, January 17, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar told reporters Khan could appeal the ruling to the high court. In addition, the former cricket star can also petition the pardon to the Pakistani president.

Omar Ayub, Khan's aide, said his party would sue the ruling in a higher court.

The former 72-year-old prime minister was previously charged with suspicion that he and his wife were given land by real estate developers during his tenure from 2018 to 2022 in exchange for illegal aid.

This case is related to Al-Qadir Trust, the non-governmental welfare agency that the couple founded when Khan was still in office.

Prosecutors said the trust was a cover for Khan to illegally receive land from real estate developers. They said he was given 60 hectares (24 hectares) near Islamabad and another large plot of land near his house on the top of a hill in the capital.

The Pakistan Party Tereek-e-Insaf (PTI) led by Khan said the land was not for personal gain but for spiritual and educational institutions founded by the former prime minister.

"While we are waiting for a detailed decision, it is important to note that the Al Qadir Trust case against Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi has no solid basis and will most likely collapse," PTI's foreign media wing said in a statement.