After Ex-Pakistan PM Imran Khan, His Wife Get 7-Year Jail For Unlawful Marriage

A court sentenced former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Khan to seven years in prison and imposed a fine, ruling that their 2018 marriage violated the law, as announced by his party, on Saturday.

The sentencing and fines were determined by the court, attributing the violation to their union.

Photo Credit: PTI

Imran Khan's Wife Jailed

The embattled former Prime Minister faced his third adverse ruling this week, with a court sentencing Imran Khan, 71, to seven years in prison and imposing a fine for the violation of marriage laws, just ahead of the national elections on Thursday, from which he is barred.

In recent days, Imran Khan has been sentenced to 10 years for leaking state secrets and 14 years, along with his wife Bushra Khan, for the illegal sale of state gifts, with each of them being fined 500,000 rupees ($1,800), as reported by ARY News.

Accused of not completing the mandated waiting period, known as "Iddat," after divorcing her previous husband and marrying Imran Khan, Bushra Khan is serving her sentence at their hilltop mansion in Islamabad, while Imran Khan remains incarcerated in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, reported Reuters.

The controversy surrounding their marriage contract, a "Nikkah," signed in January 2018 in a secret ceremony seven months before Imran Khan assumed the role of Prime Minister, raised questions about the timing and adherence to Islamic practices. Despite initial denials, Imran Khan's party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), confirmed the January marriage weeks later.

Both the Khans have consistently denied any wrongdoing, and Imran Khan, already facing a 10-year disqualification from holding public office, awaits clarity on whether the sentences will run concurrently or sequentially, as reported by Reuters.