Pakistan’s former premier Imran Khan and wife convicted for illegal marriage
- A court has convicted and sentenced Khan and his wife to seven years in prison on a charge that their 2018 marriage violated the law, officials and a lawyer said
- It is Khan’s fourth conviction since 2022, when he was ousted. Analysts say they are punishment for his rhetoric against the nation’s powerful military leadership
The latest verdict follows another case in which Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were sentenced on Wednesday, given 14 years in prison for corruption.
It comes ahead of February 8 parliamentary elections in which Khan has already been disqualified because of corruption convictions while his party is struggling to run an election campaign.
It is Khan’s fourth conviction since 2022, when he was ousted from power. His sentences total 34 years and will be served concurrently.
Analysts say Khan’s multiple and apparently hasty convictions are seen by his party and supporters as punishment for his rhetoric against Pakistan’s powerful military leadership, which has ruled the country for half of its 76-year history.
During his final months in power, Khan had broadened his fight with opponents to include the military.
The lawyer for the couple, Intisar Panjutha, said the verdict was announced by Judge Qudrat Ullah a day after the trial ended. Khan and his family insist the trial is politically motivated.