On Wednesday, January 31, the Tosha Khana reference case resulted in the legendary Pakistani cricketer Imran Khan receiving a 14-year prison sentence. The 71-year-old was found guilty of failing to report to the government for tax purposes, the money he received from the sale of gifts while serving as prime minister. Bushra Bibi, Imran’s spouse, was found guilty and given a 14-year prison sentence.
The former captain of Pakistan has also been fined PKR 787 million, or almost US$2.9 million. Moreover, the five-year prohibition on him seeking any political office has been increased to ten years.
Imran Khan was previously given a ten-year prison sentence for a different offense, for which he has been serving a three-year sentence since August 2023.
Though Imran was not released from prison, the earlier sentence—which was similarly tied to selling gifts from the state and was deemed corrupt practices by the court—was later suspended. His 14-year sentence will begin concurrently with his ten-year imprisonment, as is customary in Pakistan.
Imran Khan, who also led his party to victory in the most recent general elections in the country, expressed dissatisfaction with the proceedings on behalf of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI). They claimed that the proceedings “exposed a complete disregard of law by a trial court” and that they were a “sham trial” that should be discarded.
Significant suppression of Imran Khan and PTI in Pakistan
Notably, the former prime minister of Pakistan has over a hundred charges to his credit, and his legal problems have only become worse since he was ousted from office in April 2022 following a vote of no confidence. But since Imran’s wife has never been to prison, this is the first time she has been given a jail sentence.
The jail term, however, is part of the state’s campaign against Imran ahead of Pakistan’s eight-day general elections. Moreover, the PTI has been completely prohibited from running for office. Imran and his attorneys did not make any remarks following the verdict, although it is anticipated that they will file an appeal.
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