In a landmark ruling, former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has been sentenced to 14 years in prison, while his wife, Bushra Bibi, has received a seven-year sentence in a land corruption case involving the Al-Qadir University Trust. The verdict, delivered by an anti-corruption court in Rawalpindi, marks the latest chapter in the tumultuous political and legal journey of the charismatic cricket star-turned-politician, who has been in jail since August 2023.
The Al-Qadir University Trust Case
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) of Pakistan initiated the case in December 2023, alleging that Khan and his associates misused funds meant for the state. The prosecution argued that Khan played a “pivotal role” in facilitating the illicit transfer of state funds into a private account for land payments by Bahria Town, Karachi. The NAB accused Ahmed Ali Riaz, son of real estate tycoon Malik Riaz Hussain, of transferring 240 kanals of land to Farhat Shahzadi, a close associate of Bushra Bibi, and Zulfi Bukhari, a former aide of Khan. The trust purportedly linked to these transactions, NAB claimed, did not exist at the time of the transfers.
Largest Corruption Case Against Khan
This case, described by Pakistan’s Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb as the country’s “largest corruption case,” is one of many legal challenges faced by Khan. The NAB contended that the funds used were part of £190 million repatriated to Pakistan by the UK in 2019 after Malik Riaz forfeited assets in a British criminal probe. Prosecutors alleged that Khan used these funds to pay fines levied on Hussain for acquiring government lands at below-market prices. Former Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah alleged that Hussain provided land in Jhelum and Islamabad to the Al-Qadir Trust in exchange for this favor.
Bushra Bibi, also convicted in the case, was taken into custody following the court’s decision. Her inclusion in the case, Khan argues, was a ploy to exert pressure on him. Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party insists that the land linked to the trust was intended for a spiritual educational institution and not for personal gain.
Khan’s Response to the Verdict
In a statement released from Adiala Jail, Khan, 72, denounced the ruling as politically motivated. He claimed that the Al-Qadir Trust case was baseless, emphasizing that neither he nor the government incurred any financial loss. “The only purpose for including Bushra Bibi in the case was to increase pressure on me,” he said. Khan also pointed to other political figures, such as Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari, accusing them of larger financial improprieties that have gone unpunished.
A History of Legal Challenges
Khan, who led Pakistan to its sole Cricket World Cup victory in 1992, has faced over 150 criminal cases since his removal from office in April 2022 through a parliamentary vote of no confidence. His earlier three-year sentence in a separate corruption case in August 2023 disqualified him from contesting general elections. While he has been acquitted or had sentences suspended in numerous cases, the Al-Qadir Trust case stands as the most significant financial corruption charge against him.
The PTI maintains that the cases against Khan are part of a broader political vendetta orchestrated by the current government and the military-intelligence establishment, which Khan blames for his ousting. Critics argue that his legal battles have been used to suppress his political influence and dismantle his party’s popularity.
Manbilas Singh is a talented writer and journalist who focuses on the finer details in every story and values integrity above everything. A self-proclaimed sleuth, he strives to expose the fine print behind seemingly mundane activities and aims to uncover the truth that is hidden from the general public. In his time away from work, he is a music aficionado and a nerd who revels in video & board games, books and Formula 1.
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