Pakistan ex-PM Imran Khan, wife Bushra Bibi Convicted in al-Qadir Trust Case: A Pakistan anti-corruption court sentenced former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, to 14 and 7 years in prison, respectively, in the Al-Qadir Trust case. Judge Nasir Javed Rana announced the verdict on Friday at a makeshift court in Adiala Jail, where Khan is currently detained.
The court found Khan (72) and Bibi (50) guilty of misusing funds amounting to 190 million pounds (approximately PRs50 billion) that were repatriated to Pakistan by the UK’s National Crime Agency. The funds, intended for the national treasury, were allegedly redirected for the benefit of a property tycoon who helped the couple establish Al-Qadir University in Jhelum.
In addition to the prison sentences, Khan was fined PRs1 million, and Bibi was fined PRs500,000. Failure to pay the fines will result in additional imprisonment of six and three months, respectively. The court also ordered the confiscation of Al-Qadir University’s land.
Bushra Bibi, who had been attending the proceedings, was arrested from the courtroom after the verdict.
Controversy and Criticism
The verdict, postponed multiple times since December 2023, has sparked criticism from Khan’s political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Khan described the judgment as politically motivated, stating, “Today’s verdict has tarnished the reputation of the judiciary. In this case, neither I benefited nor the government lost.”
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) initially filed the case in December 2023 against Khan, Bibi, and six others, accusing them of facilitating a financial loss to the state. While the others named in the case, including a prominent property tycoon, are reportedly abroad, Khan and Bibi faced prosecution.