A Pakistani court on Friday found former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, guilty in a significant corruption case, sentencing Khan to 14 years in prison.
Khan has been in custody since August 2023 and faces approximately 200 charges. His political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, asserts that this latest conviction is an attempt to silence him.
Following the verdict, Khan stated to reporters in the courtroom, "I will neither make any deal nor seek any relief."
The anti-corruption court convened at the jail near Islamabad, where Khan is detained, and convicted both him and his wife concerning a welfare organization they founded, the Al-Qadir Trust.
Judge Nasir Rana declared, "The prosecution has proven its case. Khan is convicted," as he announced a 14-year sentence for Khan and a seven-year sentence for Bibi.
Khan contends that the charges are politically motivated, aimed at preventing his return to power.
The sentencing has faced multiple delays over the past month, with analysts suggesting that the prison term is being utilized to coerce Khan into negotiating a deal with the military to withdraw from politics.
Since his removal from office in 2022, Khan has initiated an unprecedented campaign, openly criticizing the influential military leaders of the country.
He has previously received four convictions, two of which were overturned, while the sentences in the other two cases were suspended. Nevertheless, he remains incarcerated due to ongoing legal matters.
Last year, a United Nations panel of experts concluded that Khan's detention lacked legal justification and seemed intended to disqualify him from seeking political office.
Khan was prohibited from participating in the elections scheduled for February, and his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, faced significant restrictions due to a widespread crackdown.
Despite PTI securing more seats than any other party in the election, a coalition of parties deemed more amenable to military influence excluded them from power.
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