Iran Press/ Asia: Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were convicted by the National Accountability Bureau in a case related to the unlawful sale of state gifts during his tenure as prime minister from 2018 to 2022.
Khan, who has been jailed since August on several charges, has also been barred from holding office for 10 years, the PTI said. Bibi was taken into police custody shortly after the sentencing, the party added.
Wednesday’s sentencing comes almost one week away from a general election expected on February 8 and just a day after Khan was handed a 10-year sentence for leaking state secrets. He will be allowed to serve his sentences concurrently.
Pakistan’s upcoming election is seen by many analysts as one of the least credible in the country’s nearly 77-year history, owing to the military’s crackdown on Khan and his aides.
The former star cricketer turned politician has been embroiled in political controversy since he was dramatically ousted in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in April 2022.
That moment set the stage for a months-long showdown between Khan and the powerful military, who he accused of orchestrating his removal. In an interview with the Intercept, Imran Khan spoke about the involvement of the United States in the overthrow of his government and accused the Pakistani army of deepening the political crisis.
Khan, in the interview, speculated that the US had turned on him because of his skepticism of the global war on terror and due to a misperception that he had aligned Pakistan with the Taliban.
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Former Pakistani FM sentenced to 10 years in prison
