Imran Khan and Wife Bushra Bibi Convicted in Al-Qadir Trust Case, Sentenced to Prison

Former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were convicted on Friday in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case, with Imran being sentenced to 14 years in prison and Bushra receiving a seven-year jail term. The verdict, delivered by Judge Nasir Javed Rana in a makeshift courtroom at Adiala Jail, was the result of a case involving allegations of corruption and illicit financial dealings.

Along with the prison sentences, the court also imposed fines on the couple—Rs 1 million for Imran and Rs 500,000 for Bushra. Failure to pay the fines would result in an additional six months of imprisonment for Imran and three months for Bushra. Following the announcement, Bushra was immediately arrested in the courtroom.

The couple had been indicted in the case in February 2024. The case claims that they received billions of rupees and land from Bahria Town Ltd in exchange for legalizing Rs 50 billion that was returned to Pakistan from the United Kingdom during Imran’s tenure as Prime Minister.

This case has drawn significant public attention, especially given the delays in the verdict. Initially set for December 23, 2023, the decision was postponed multiple times, first due to winter vacations and later because of the absence of the judge and the couple’s failure to appear for hearings.

Imran, who has been incarcerated since August 2023 amid several legal cases, continues to claim that the charges against him are politically motivated. Earlier, he described the Al-Qadir Trust case as “bogus” and without merit. His party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has condemned the verdict and announced plans to challenge it in higher courts.

PTI leaders, including Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz, expressed their outrage over the sentence, questioning the fairness of the judicial process. Barrister Gohar, a PTI representative, also criticized the verdict, stating that Imran had not benefited financially from the case and that the project was a philanthropic initiative.

The case, filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in December 2023, involves charges of illicit financial transfers connected to the Al-Qadir University Trust. The prosecution claims that Imran and his associates facilitated the transfer of state funds into private accounts, involving figures such as property tycoon Malik Riaz and others, who remain absconding.

The case continues to evolve, with ongoing legal battles that could have lasting political ramifications for Imran Khan and the PTI.