Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison, while his wife, Bushra Bibi, has received a seven-year sentence in a high-profile corruption case linked to the Al-Qadir University Project Trust.
The convictions, handed down on Friday, January 19, have raised concerns that they could disrupt ongoing negotiations between Khan’s political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), and the current government.
Khan, currently imprisoned at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi since August 2023, was fined 1 million Pakistani rupees ($3,500), while Bibi was fined half of that amount. The verdict was issued after a lengthy investigation, which included at least 100 hearings over the past year. The charges revolved around the misuse of authority and corruption involving the land acquisition for the Al-Qadir Trust, which aimed to create a nonprofit educational institute.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) alleged that Khan, during his tenure as Prime Minister from 2018 to 2022, had struck a deal with property tycoon Malik Riaz to acquire land for the trust in exchange for laundering over $239 million. This, according to NAB, caused significant financial losses to the national treasury.
While Khan and his legal team, including his lawyer Faisal Fareed Chaudhry, have called the case politically motivated and criticized the lack of evidence for financial losses or personal gain, the conviction marks Khan’s fourth major legal defeat. His three earlier convictions from January 2024—related to the sale of state gifts, leaking state secrets, and unlawful marriage—were overturned or suspended.
Despite the controversy surrounding the convictions, the case is seen as a major hurdle for the PTI’s ongoing dialogue with the government, especially as negotiations over Khan’s release and other political matters continue.
Political analysts, including Majid Nizami, warn that this conviction may fracture internal PTI dynamics and could lead to a more aggressive stance from Khan’s supporters, potentially derailing the fragile peace talks.
