Pakistan: Former Prime Minister Imran Khan Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were sentenced by a court on Saturday to 17 years in prison for breach of trust and corruption related to gifts received while he was in office.

Both were sentenced to 10 years for breach of trust and 7 years for corruption.

Since being ousted from power in 2022, Khan has faced numerous legal challenges.

Imprisoned since 2023, he denies any wrongdoing and claims the prosecutions are politically motivated.

Under Pakistani law, government officials must declare all gifts received but can keep those below a certain value or buy them back at a discounted price.

The case for which the former leader was convicted involves a set of luxury jewelry from the Italian brand Bulgari, gifted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Imran Khan and his wife in May 2021, which Khan allegedly undervalued.

This trial is separate from a previous case involving luxury watches also gifted by the Saudi prince, in which Khan was sentenced to 14 years and his wife to 7 years.

In a post on the social network X, Khan's party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, claimed this conviction from a "kangaroo court" is merely aimed at prolonging Khan's "illegal and unjust imprisonment."

Party spokesperson Syed Zulfikhar Bukhari told AFP that the ruling disregarded "fundamental principles of justice."

Meanwhile, Khan's family has intensified efforts to draw attention to the conditions of his detention.

In a recent interview with British broadcaster Sky News, his son, Kasim Khan, stated that his father is "in total isolation" and is not even allowed to communicate with the guards.

"These are all kinds of psychological torture tactics. He has no contact with family, no access to his personal doctor, or anything like that. They are using these tactics to try to completely isolate him," he said.

The Pakistani government has repeatedly dismissed such allegations.