Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi have been sentenced to additional jail phrases following a fraud case involving state presents.
They have been convicted of breaking Pakistan’s guidelines on presents after Bibi was given a luxurious jewelry set by Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman throughout a 2021 state go to.
The pair are already serving time in jail for earlier convictions, and the brand new sentences – 10 years for legal breach of belief and 7 years for legal misconduct, and a effective – will reportedly run concurrently to their earlier phrases.
Khan has described the costs as politically motivated and his lawyer informed BBC Information his workforce plan to problem the decision.
Talking to the BBC after the listening to, the previous prime minister’s lawyer, Salman Safdar, stated Khan’s authorized workforce had solely been knowledgeable concerning the sentencing late on Friday evening, after regular court docket hours.
They deliberate to mount a problem to the decision within the excessive court docket, Mr Safdar stated.
This case is the most recent in a sequence of prices laid towards the cricket star-turned-politician, who has been detained since August 2023. In January, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison over a separate corruption case.
He has confronted prices in greater than 100 instances, starting from leaking state secrets and techniques to promoting state presents. The BBC has been unable to substantiate the precise quantity introduced towards him.
The jewelry case, known as Toshakhana 2 in Pakistan, issues a Bulgari jewelry set given to Bushra Bibi by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman throughout a state go to in 2021, in accordance with court docket paperwork.
Below Pakistan’s guidelines on state presents, this stuff go to Pakistan’s Toshakana division (state treasury), however politicians are in a position to buy the gadgets again.
Khan is alleged to have requested a personal agency to undervalue the jewelry set, earlier than buying it again at a considerably diminished value.
Along with their jail phrases, the pair have been handed a effective of over 16 million Pakistani rupees (£42,600).
Khan was additionally convicted in an earlier, totally different Toshakhana case – however he challenged that conviction, that means his sentence is suspended till the result of his enchantment.
He additionally has different instances excellent towards him.
These embrace terrorism prices regarding violent protests that came about on 9 Could 2023, when he was beforehand arrested.
Khan was Pakistan’s prime minister till April 2022 when he was ousted in a vote of no confidence.
Though he has not been seen in public, his social media accounts have continued to function with messages attributed to him on X typically showing after jail visits.
These have been extremely vital of Pakistan’s present authorities and its politically highly effective military Chief Field Marshall Asim Munir, together with posts calling him a tyrannical dictator.
In November, he was denied any guests for practically a month.
After campaigning by his household and get together, his sister was allowed to go to in early December; a number of hours after she noticed him, his account posted a remark credited to Khan calling the Area Marshall Asim Munir a “mentally unstable particular person”.
Khan has not been allowed any household visits since.
The judgement states the decide was lenient in sentencing due to Khan’s “outdated age”.
Replace: This story was up to date to make clear the most recent authorized standing of Khan’s earlier, separate Toshakhana case.
