Ex-Pak PM Imran Khan, wife Bushra Bibi sentenced to 14 years in jail in Toshakhana corruption case

Khan was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Tuesday in the cipher case

CNN Central News & Network–ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were sentenced to 14 years in prison on Wednesday in a corruption case for retaining expensive state gifts when he was in power, dealing another blow to the jailed former Pakistan premier, a day after he was handed a 10-year jail term for leaking sensitive state secrets.   

The verdict, which comes eight days before the February 8 general elections, has increased the legal woes of the 71-year-old cricketer-turned-politician who is already serving a three-year jail term after being convicted of corruption.

Khan's party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) faced numerous troubles before the election starting with the denial of its election symbol, the cricket bat, to the rejection of nomination papers of Khan, former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and several other party leaders.

Accountability Court Judge Mohammad Bashir conducted the hearing at Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail, where the former premier is incarcerated, in the Toshakhana corruption case. 

Khan and his wife were also barred from holding any public office for 10 years and slapped with a fine of Rs 787 million each. Bushra Bibi did not appear before the court on Wednesday.

Bushra Bibi, 49, reached the Adiala jail after her conviction in the case and  offered her arrest.  he Judge in the case had also convicted another former premier Nawaz Sharif in July 2018 ahead of elections.

Reacting to the verdict, PTI's current chief Gohar Khan said the judgment only served to lower the respect of the judiciary. "The accused were not given time and the process was hurried to conclude the trial," he said, adding that the defence was not given the right of cross-examination.

Last month, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) filed a fresh case against the two in an accountability court for retaining a jewellery set received from the Saudi crown prince against undervalued assessment.

Khan told the court that his wife had nothing to do with the case and was being humiliated by being forcibly dragged into it.