# Pakistani court gives Imran Khan and his wife 17-year terms in graft case
*A Pakistani court has convicted Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi over retained state gifts, handing each a 17-year sentence in a case that his party says is politically driven.*
The conviction deepens the legal pressure on Pakistan's former prime minister, who has been behind bars since 2023 and remains the central figure in the country's most polarizing political fight. According to the AP report, the court found Khan and Bushra Bibi guilty of retaining and selling state gifts, including jewelry from Saudi Arabia's government, at prices far below market value.
Prosecutors said the items were declared at just over $10,000 even though their stated market value was $285,521, allowing the couple to buy them at a discounted rate. The case concerns rules that require government officials to pay assessed market value for gifts from foreign dignitaries if they want to keep them. The AP report says Khan and his wife pleaded not guilty when they were indicted last year.
The sentence is another milestone in the long legal campaign against Khan, who was ousted in a no-confidence vote in April 2022. His party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, has consistently argued that the cases against him are politically motivated. After the ruling, the party called the case a black chapter in history and said the courtroom process was unfair. Khan's lawyer said the ruling would be appealed.
The government gave the opposite account. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the court had examined solid evidence and delivered a fair decision. The dispute over the verdict sits inside a broader conflict over Pakistan's political direction, the role of the military and the legitimacy of the current system.
The AP report also notes that Khan retains a strong following despite repeated convictions and prison terms. His party did well in the February 2024 parliamentary election, though it did not win a majority. Khan and his supporters claimed the vote was rigged, while the government denied it. The case therefore has consequences beyond sentencing: it continues to shape the balance between the opposition, the government and the institutions overseeing Pakistan's politics.
Claim-to-source map - 17-year sentences; conviction for retaining and selling state gifts; plea status; lawyer plans appeal: source 8966 - Gift valuation details; legal requirement to buy gifts at market value: source 8966 - PTI reaction; government response; ouster in 2022; 2024 election context: source 8966
The case also highlights how much of Pakistan's political conflict now plays out through the courts. Khan remains a major opposition figure, and the AP report says his party won strong backing in the 2024 election even though it fell short of a majority. That helps explain why the latest sentence will be read not only as a legal ruling but also as another phase in a broader contest over who can govern and who gets to challenge the state. The verdict therefore lands in a climate of deep distrust, with each side accusing the other of bad faith.
The article should also be read with care on what it does not say. The AP account quotes the government, Khan's party and his lawyer, but it does not resolve the underlying political dispute. It does not independently prove whether the case was politically motivated or whether the prosecution was purely legal. What it does show is that Khan and his wife have now been sentenced again, that the punishment is substantial and that the appeals process will keep the case alive. That makes the ruling important both for the individuals involved and for Pakistan's wider political climate.
