: Embattled former Pakistan PM Imran Khan received his second jail sentence in as many days on Wednesday when the country's anti-corruption court sentenced him and his wife, Bushra Bibi, to 14 years imprisonment in the Toshakhana (state treasury) case linked to illegal sale of state gifts.
ISLAMABAD: Embattled former Pakistan PM
Imran Khan
received his second jail sentence in as many days on Wednesday when the country's anti-corruption court sentenced him and his wife,
Bushra Bibi
, to 14 years imprisonment in the
Toshakhana
(state treasury) case linked to illegal sale of state gifts.
A special court established under the British-era Official Secrets Act of 1923 had handed the cricketer-turned-politician and ex-foreign minister
Shah Mehmood
Qureshi 10-year jail terms the previous day for sharing state secrets.
Imran's lawyers said they would challenge both verdicts in Islamabad high court.
The back-to-back sentences came just days before the general elections, vindicating speculation about Imran's conviction ahead of the polls.
The accountability court, which hears cases of graft, ruled that
Imran
and Bushra would not be eligible to contest any public office for 10 years. It also slapped a fine of 787 million rupees (US $2.8mn) on each of them.
Last month, the anti-corruption watchdog filed a fresh reference against the couple in an accountability court for retaining a jewellery set received from the Saudi crown prince against an undervalued assessment.
It alleged that during his term as PM, Imran and his wife received a total of 108 gifts from heads of state and other foreign dignitaries. Earlier this month, the court indicted them in the case.
While Imran has been in jail since August last year, his wife, who has kept a low profile since her marriage to him, arrived at Adiala prison to surrender after her conviction. She was subsequently taken into custody.
Last year, Imran had been convicted in a separate Toshakhana case and sentenced to three years in jail. Islamabad HC suspended his sentence, but a division bench later rejected his plea seeking suspension of the conviction.
"Complete destruction of every existing law in Pakistan in two days," Imran's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said on Wednesday.
In a post on X, the party said Imran and his spouse had faced "yet another kangaroo trial in which no right to defence was given to both".
"This case has no basis to stand in any higher court. It's shameful how complete disregard and mockery of the law is in place."
Imran urged his supporters on Tuesday to take revenge for every injustice "with your vote on February 8 while staying peaceful".
Several PTI leaders are behind bars or on the run, fearing arrest. The party has also been stripped of its electoral symbol, the cricket bat. All PTI candidates are contesting the polls as independents.
English (US) ·