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Former Pakistani PM sentenced to 14 years in prison for corruption

Former Pakistani PM sentenced to 14 years in prison for corruption

A court in Pakistan has sentenced the country's jailed former prime minister, Imran Khan, to 14 years in prison and his wife to seven after finding them guilty on corruption charges, officials and his lawyers said.

The couple is accused of accepting a gift of land from a real estate tycoon in exchange for money laundering when Khan was in power.

Prosecutors said the businessman, Malik Riaz, was then allowed by Khan to pay fines imposed on him in another case with the same laundered money of 190 British pounds ($240 million). The money was returned to Pakistan by British authorities in 2022 to be deposited in the state treasury.

Khan has denied the allegations and has insisted since his arrest in 2023 that all charges against him are a conspiracy by rivals to keep him out of running for public office.

Khan, who became prime minister in 2018, was ousted from power through a no-confidence motion in Parliament in April 2022.

He was previously convicted on charges of corruption, revealing state secrets and violating marriage laws, and in three separate verdicts, he was sentenced to ten, 14 and seven years, respectively.

According to Pakistani law, he must serve all sentences, meaning the length of his prison sentence will be longer.

Khan, 72, faces more than 150 criminal cases, even though he enjoys immense popularity among Pakistanis.

He and his political party, Pakistan Tehrik-e Insaf (PTI), have said these cases are politically motivated./ REL

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