Islamabad: Islamabad's Accountability Court has sentenced former Prime Minister Imran Khan to 14 years in prison and his wife, Bushra Bibi, to 7 years in the £190 million corruption case. The verdict, delivered by Judge Nasir Javed Rana on Friday, includes additional fines of PKR 1 million for Imran Khan and PKR 500,000 for Bushra Bibi. Failure to pay the fines will result in an additional six months' imprisonment for Khan and three months for Bushra Bibi.
The court also ordered the nationalization of Al-Qadir University, which was implicated in the case.
The long-awaited decision, reserved for over 30 days, had been delayed four times before being announced on January 17, 2025. The trial, which lasted a year, concluded on December 18, 2024. Initially, the verdict was scheduled for December 23, 2024, but was postponed to January 6, then to January 13, and finally to January 17.
The verdict was read in the presence of Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi, defense lawyers, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecution team, and 22 journalists.
Judge Nasir Javed Rana noted that he had arrived at Adiala Jail early on January 13 to announce the decision but found the accused absent from the court. He affirmed that the signed decision was ready for announcement and was ultimately delivered on January 17.
During the trial, the NAB prosecution presented statements from 35 witnesses, all of whom were cross-examined by the defense. The one-year trial saw delays and a shifting schedule for the final judgment, which has now culminated in the sentencing of the former prime minister and his wife.
