• Mr Khan faces 14 years in prison over allegations that he received bribes in form of land, sold state gifts, and leaked state secrets.
• Though he will likely not see out these sentences, the damage has been done in the run up to the elections on the 8th of February and a regime change is set to occur.
Earlier this week ex Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was sentenced to 10 years in prison for leaking state secrets. Shortly after, Mr Khan (and his wife) had the sentence extended to 14 years on the charge of selling state gifts. And in the last 24 hours or so, a Pakistani court has ruled that his marriage to his wife, Bushra Bibi, was un-Islamic and illegal- a charge that came with a 7-year jail sentence.
Pakistani elections are due to be held in a few days on the 8th of February and the recent slew of jail sentences handed down to Mr Khan are causing more disarray in a nation that is already on the brink on chaos.
There are over 150 cases pending against Mr Khan ranging from charges of terrorism to allegations of inciting violence. Of these cases the most significant ones relate to Mr Khan receiving bribes in the form of land, selling state gifts, and leaking state secrets.
Prosecutors have alleged that Mr Khan and his wife received land worth 7 billion rupees (or $25 million) from Pakistani businessman and property developer Malik Riaz. Mr Riaz, a highly controversial figure, has previously been charged by a UK court for money laundering. Mr Khan’s aides have stated that the land was donated to a charitable trust and Mr Riaz has also denied wrongdoing.
In the Toshakhana (State Treasury) case, Mr Khan has been accused of selling gifts acquired from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and worth over 140 million rupees ($501,000). These gifts consist of perfumes, diamond jewellery, dinner sets, 6 Rolex watches, and a limited-edition Master Graff watch which features the Kaaba.
But most significantly authorities have alleged that Mr Khan leaked confidential state secrets. This is in reference to a confidential wire that was sent to the Pakistani government by Pakistani Ambassador in the United States, Asad Majeed Khan after a conversation with Donald Lu, the assistant secretary of state for the US Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs on March 7th, 2022.
Mr Lu expressed his concerns about PM Imran Khan’s politically neutral stance on the Russia-Ukraine War and told Ambassador Asad Majeed Khan, “I think if a no-confidence vote against the prime minister succeeds, all will be forgiven in Washington”. The Ambassador then sent the details of his conservation with Mr Lu back to Pakistan via a secret diplomatic cable, the contents of which were leaked by then PM Imran Khan according to Pakistani authorities seeking to prosecute the now former PM.
However, despite all this, these sentences will be reviewed by a higher court and due to the presence of obvious loopholes in the prosecution’s arguments, Mr Khan’s prison sentences are highly likely to be overruled and thrown out.
But it is too late at this point. Mr Khan and his party, the Pakistan Tehreek e Insaaf (PTI) have had their credentials and reputations damaged and Mr Khan’s cases won’t be reviewed until after a change of government on February the 8th. A change of government he and his party will undoubtedly not be a part of.
