Rawalpindi: A Pakistani court has sentenced former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to jail time in connection with a graft case involving the Al Qadir University Trust. The court handed down a 14-year prison term to Khan and a seven-year sentence to his wife, following a verdict announcement inside Adiala jail in Rawalpindi, where Khan has been detained since August 2023.
According to Anadolu Agency, the trial for the case, commonly known as the '£190 million ($236 million) reference,' has been ongoing inside the jail for several months. Both Khan and Bibi were indicted in February and have the option to appeal the verdict. The National Accountability Bureau alleged that the couple received significant financial gains and valuable land to establish the educational institution in exchange for releasing £190 million to a property tycoon in 2020, a claim they have denied.
The UK's National Crime Agency identified and returned the amount to Pakistan in 2019 after a settlement with real estate magnate Malik Riaz. The anti-corruption body claims that the deal between Khan's PTI government and Riaz resulted in a loss of over $236 million to the national exchequer in a "quid pro quo" arrangement. Khan, who was ousted from power in April 2022, has been a target of more than 200 legal cases, securing bail in several instances.
Protests erupted outside the legislature in Punjab province, led by lawmakers from Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. His sister, Aleema Khan, announced plans to challenge the verdict in a higher court, emphasizing that historical events are repeating themselves. PTI's legal team, headed by lawyer Salman Safdar, is preparing to appeal the decision, aiming for a hearing by early next week.
PTI chairman Gohar Ali Khan criticized the court's decision, asserting that Imran Khan did not personally benefit from the transactions under scrutiny. Khan's aide, Zulfi Bukhari, argued that the convictions were unjust for establishing a non-profit university for over 300 students free of charge. Bukhari expressed optimism, stating, "The struggle continues, Imran Khan is winning!" on social media platform X.