Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has been sentenced to 14 years in prison by a local court in a land corruption case related to Al-Qadir Trust. This decision was pronounced on Friday in a temporary court set up in a jail in Rawalpindi. The allegation of financial irregularities in this case was the biggest that 72-year-old Khan has faced.
Anti-Corruption Court Judge Nasir Javed Rana delivered the verdict, which was postponed thrice for various reasons. This decision was last postponed on January 13.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) registered the case against Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi (50) and six others in December 2023. They are accused of causing a loss of 190 million pounds (about 50 billion Pakistani rupees) to the national exchequer.
However, Khan and Bushra Bibi were prosecuted while the other accused, including a prominent property tycoon, are out of the country. The case revolves around allegations that funds returned to Pakistan by Britain’s National Crime Agency under an agreement with a property tycoon were used for personal gain rather than for the national exchequer.
It is alleged that this money was used to purchase 458 kanals of land for Al-Qadir University, Jhelum and for trust related works. Bushra Bibi, who is a trustee of the Al-Qadir Trust, is accused of benefiting from the deal.