The political sky continues to darken for Imran Khan. The former Pakistani Prime Minister and his wife were sentenced on Wednesday January 31 to 14 years in prison for corruption, in a case concerning gifts received when he was in power, local media announced.
This judgment comes the day after Imran Khan was sentenced to ten years in prison for disclosing classified documents, and a few days before the legislative and provincial elections of February 8, for which he was already ineligible.
It was not immediately possible to determine whether the two convictions were cumulative or not.
Imran Khan was accused, with his wife Bushra Bibi, whom he married in 2018 a few months before becoming Prime Minister, of having received gifts while in power whose value he underestimated before reselling them. at a high price.
All gifts must be declared and only those worth less than a certain amount can be kept or purchased at an officially agreed price.
Ineligible for five years
Both trials were held in Adiala prison, where Imran Khan has been incarcerated almost since his arrest in August. He faces charges in dozens of cases and was also declared ineligible for five years.
The election campaign was marred by accusations of fraud and repression against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the party he founded.
See alsoImran Khan, former Prime Minister of Pakistan: “I don’t feel safe”
Imran Khan accuses the army, which helped him come to power in 2018 but whose support he has since lost, according to analysts, of seeking to prevent him from regaining leadership of the country.
In Pakistan, the military has been in power for almost half of the country's 75-year history and continues to wield considerable political influence.
With AFP
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