Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and His Wife Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for Unauthorized Marriage

The embattled former Prime Minister, Imran Khan, 71, has received a series of adverse rulings in recent days. He has been sentenced to 10 years for leaking state secrets and 14 years, along with his wife, for illegally selling state gifts. Additionally, he is barred from contesting in the upcoming national elections. Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Khan, was accused of not completing the waiting period mandated by Islam, called “Iddat”, after divorcing her previous husband and marrying Imran Khan.

There was controversy over whether they had wed before the period was complete. Despite initial denials, Imran Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), confirmed the marriage weeks later. Both the Khans deny any wrongdoing. Imran Khan is currently in prison in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, while his wife has been allowed to serve her sentence at their hilltop mansion in Islamabad.

He already faces a 10-year disqualification from holding public office, and it is unclear whether the sentences would run concurrently or sequentially. *(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed. )*