Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan sentenced to 14 years in jail over land corruption case

PTC Web Desk: Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, has been sentenced to 14 years in jail by a local anti-corruption court in connection with a land corruption case involving the Al-Qadir Trust. The verdict, delivered on Friday, is the most significant legal challenge faced by Khan regarding financial misconduct.

The ruling was handed down by Judge Nasir Javed Rana in a makeshift courtroom set up at Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi, where Imran Khan has been incarcerated since August 2023. The judgment had been postponed three times, with the most recent delay occurring on January 13.

In December 2023, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) filed charges against Imran Khan (72), his wife Bushra Bibi (50), and six others. They are accused of causing a financial loss of 190 million pounds (approximately PKR 50 billion) to Pakistan’s national exchequer. However, Khan and Bibi are the only ones facing prosecution, as the other accused, including a prominent property tycoon, are reportedly living abroad.

The case revolves around allegations that funds amounting to PKR 50 billion, which were returned to Pakistan by the UK's National Crime Agency as part of a settlement with a property tycoon, were misappropriated. These funds, which were originally meant for the national treasury, are said to have been redirected for personal gain by the businessman who assisted Bibi and Khan in establishing a university. Bibi, in her role as a trustee of the Al-Qadir Trust, is accused of benefiting from these funds, including the acquisition of 458 kanals of land for Al-Qadir University in Jhelum.