Now, Imran, wife jailed for 14 years in graft case

Islamabad, January 31

Pakistan’s former PM Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were sentenced on Wednesday to 14 years of rigorous imprisonment each in a corruption case, a day after the beleaguered leader was given a 10-year jail term for leaking state secrets.

The verdict by an accountability court, which comes eight days before the February 8 general elections, has added to the legal woes of the 71-year-old cricketer-turned-politician’s bid to return to power.

HC reserves verdict in marriage case

• The Islamabad High Court reserved its verdict on a petition seeking dismissal of a case challenging the “un-Islamic” marriage of Imran to Bushra Bibi, his third wife.
• Bibi’s ex-husband had filed the case, seeking action against Imran as Bibi had been reportedly on iddat period.

Rejection of nomination papers Challenged

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• Imran has filed a plea in the Supreme Court challenging the rejection of his nomination papers for two National Assembly seats in Punjab province for the February 8 polls.
• Earlier this month, the Lahore High Court had turned down his plea, upholding the decisions of the returning officer.

Khan is already serving a three-year jail term after being convicted of corruption in a separate Toshakhana case on August 5 last year. Khan’s party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) faced numerous troubles before the election starting with the denial of its election symbol, the cricket bat, to the rejection of nomination papers of Khan, former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and several other party leaders.

In the Toshakhana corruption case, he was accused of retaining expensive state gifts they received during his tenure as Pakistan’s premier from 2018-2022.

Khan and his wife were also barred from holding any public office for 10 years and slapped with a fine of Rs 787 million each. Bushra Bibi, 49, did not appear before the court on Wednesday.

At the outset of the hearing, Judge Bashir asked Khan if he recorded his statement. To this, the former premier said that he would submit his statement once his lawyers came.

“I have been deceived as I was only called to mark my attendance for the hearing,” Khan said. Following the verdict, Bushra Bibi arrived at the Adiala jail and surrendered before the authorities.