Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has been granted bail in a land corruption case by the Islamabad High Court. However, the ex-cricket star will continue to serve time in jail due to convictions in two other cases, according to his lawyer.
Khan, who served as prime minister from 2018 to 2022, was indicted last week on charges related to receiving land as a gift from a real estate developer during his tenure in exchange for illegal favors. Despite denying any wrongdoing, Khan has faced a slew of legal challenges since his removal from office in 2022 including charges of inciting violence against the state in the aftermath of his removal from office in a parliamentary vote of no-confidence.
The case for which Khan was granted bail centers around the Al-Qadir Trust, an NGO established by Khan and his wife during his tenure. Prosecutors allege that the trust was used as a front to receive bribes in the form of land from a real estate developer. The land includes 60 acres (24 hectares) near Islamabad and another large plot close to Khan’s hilltop mansion in the capital.
While bail was granted in the land corruption case, Khan remains incarcerated due to convictions in separate cases involving the leaking of state secrets and the violation of Islamic law through his marriage. The former prime minister has been in jail since August last year and has been convicted in a total of four cases, with sentences in two cases suspended.
In response to the bail, Khan’s media team released a statement asserting that the land in question was intended for the establishment of a religious and scientific educational institution, not for personal gain. They also claimed that the cases against Khan were politically motivated, aimed at keeping him imprisoned and preventing his participation in future elections.
Despite facing legal challenges, Khan’s political party secured the most seats in the February 8 national elections. However, they were unable to form a government, which was led by an alliance of his rivals under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, is also serving time in jail related to their marriage in 2018.
Melissa Enoch
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