Pakistan's ex-leader Imran Khan handed more jail time

Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan has been sentenced to 14 years in prison along with his wife in a case about gifts he received while in office.

The verdict comes a week ahead of national elections and a day after Khan was sentenced to 10 years in prison in a case related to leaking state secrets.

What was the case about?

The verdict was linked to a three-year prison term that Khan was sentenced to in August, for selling gifts worth more than 140 million rupees ($501,000; €463,000) received during his 2018-2022 premiership.

The ruling followed an investigation by the country's top anti-corruption body, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), which also charged his wife, Bushra Khan, commonly known as Bushra Bibi, in the case.

The "Toshakhana" gift-selling case is one of several legal battles that the former international cricket star and his populist center-right party are facing.

It hinges on a government department known as the Toshakhana, which refers to Mughal-era treasure houses kept by royal rulers to store and display gifts bestowed on them.

Although government officials have to declare all presents, they are allowed to keep those below a certain value and, in some cases, they can buy back more expensive gifts at a discount.

Khan and his wife received lavish presents worth millions during foreign trips, including luxury watches, jewelry, designer handbags, and perfumes. The former prime minister is alleged to have failed to declare some of the items, or the profit made from selling them.

The Election Commission of Pakistan had already barred Khan from holding public office until the next election because of the claims that he sold the presents. Successive governments in Pakistan have previously targeted political opponents by filing legal cases against them to keep them away from politics. Khan and his supporters claim the proceedings are politically motivated.

It was initially unclear if Khan's sentences were to run consecutively or concurrently. Khan has been in custody for much of the time since his arrest in August.

The court in the latest case also disqualified Khan from holding any public office for 10 years.

Speaking from Karachi, DW correspondent Shamil Shams said the latest ruling was different in that it related to corruption.

"Khan has been a champion of anti-corruption in Pakistan, the anti-corruption movement — that all politicians are corrupt barring him," Shams said. 

"This is the first time he has been sentenced in a corruption case, which is kind of a shock for his supporters because they consider him a politician who is clean, who is an outsider."

What was the reaction of Khan's team?

Khan's lawyer Babar Awan said Khan was convicted so swiftly that the judge did not wait for the arrival of his legal team.

Awan said Khan's basic human and fundamental rights had been violated, and the defense would challenge the latest conviction and sentencing.

"Another sad day in our judicial system history, which is being dismantled," a party spokesperson told media.

"No cross-questioning allowed, no final argument concluded and decision pops up like a pre-determined process in play," Khan's media team said.

Pakistan is headed for elections next Thursday, with complaints about rigging already surfacing. Khan is barred from running and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party is subject to a massive crackdown.

rc/nm (AFP, Reuters, AP)