RAWALPINDI: On Friday, (January 17, 2025) the  Pakistani court sentenced former Prime Minister Imran Khan to 14 years in prison and his wife, Bushra Bibi, to seven years in a corruption case involving land deals, according to his legal team.

The ruling, issued by an anti-corruption court in Rawalpindi, marks one of the most significant financial corruption cases involving Khan. He has been detained in the same city since August 2023.

Here’s a summary of the allegations against the 72-year-old ex-cricketer, who has faced numerous legal battles since his removal from office in 2022. These cases have kept him incarcerated for over a year.

1. Corruption Allegations

Imran Khan was found guilty of accepting land as a bribe from a real estate developer during his tenure as Prime Minister from 2018 to 2022. The prosecution alleged that the land, valued at 7 billion rupees (approximately $25.12 million), was granted to Khan and his wife through a trust established in 2018 in return for illegal favors.
This case first led to Khan's arrest in May 2023. His political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has defended him, claiming the land was donated for charitable purposes.
Bushra Bibi, who had been granted bail in another matter in October, was taken into custody following Friday's verdict.

2. State Gifts Controversy

In August 2023, Khan faced allegations of illegally selling gifts valued at over 140 million rupees that he had received during his time as Prime Minister. These items, according to law, were supposed to remain state property.
The couple was also indicted on new charges in December, even after earlier sentences in similar cases were suspended. Both deny any wrongdoing.

3. Charges Related to Violence

Imran Khan is facing charges under anti-terrorism laws for his alleged role in violent incidents that occurred after his arrest in May 2023. Several of his supporters have already been convicted in relation to these events.

Khan was formally charged in December, and the trial is ongoing.

5. Disclosure of State Secrets

In 2022, while still in office, Khan was accused of publicly revealing classified information from a diplomatic cable sent by Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States.

However, he was acquitted of these charges in June.

6. Marriage Law Violation

Another case involved accusations that Khan and his wife violated Islamic law. Authorities claimed the couple failed to observe the required waiting period following Bushra Bibi’s divorce before marrying in 2018.

This case also ended in acquittal, with the court clearing them of all charges in July.

Judge Nasir Javed Rana did not just sentence Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to prison time - he also slapped them with hefty fines. Khan has to pay one million Pakistani rupees (around 3,500-Dollar), while Bibi's fine is half that amount. And if they don't cough up the cash, they will face even more time behind bars - six extra months for Imran and three more months for Bushra.