A Pakistani court on Friday sentenced former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife to 14 and seven years in jail, respectively, after finding them guilty of corruption, according to officials and Khan's lawyer. This adds to Khan's existing prison sentence. Pakistan's Federal Minister for Information, Attaullah Tarar, said the defence in the £190m corruption case relied on political arguments and failed to present evidence countering the prosecution's proofs. Speaking to the media outside Parliament House alongside Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar, Minister Attaullah Tarar described the case as one of the largest corruption cases in Pakistan's history. He said the judge's verdict stated that the defence had not presented evidence proving the accused's innocence, and they failed to respond to the prosecution's evidence of bribery, corruption, and misuse of power and authority. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder, according to the minister, did not present substantial evidence in court to demonstrate his innocence. Minister Tarar criticised the PTI for what he described as a pattern of invoking religion, suggesting they attempted to use this tactic in this case. He said a house in Zaman Park, Lahore, was built with funds confiscated by and later returned from the United Kingdom's National Crime Agency. He alleged that the Al-Qadir Trust was established to launder money obtained through corruption and bribery. While acknowledging the right to appeal, Tarar stated the defence would need to prove that no sealed envelope containing relevant information was presented to the cabinet meeting, and that the cabinet did not approve the related agenda item. The defence would also have to prove that no house in Lahore was built using the returned funds. Minister Tarar called it ironic that money confiscated by the NCA and returned to the Pakistani government was subsequently returned to the individual from whom it was initially taken. "Corruption and bribery are proven in this case, misuse of authority is also proven," Tarar maintained. He said the sentence was handed down in accordance with legal requirements and based on the merits of the case, as the accused failed to demonstrate their innocence. He also cited reputed lawyers and neutral analysts who, he said, considered the verdict consistent with the law, given the prosecution's evidence of bribery, corruption, and theft. Minister Tarar added that the government possessed documents from the Asset Recovery Unit, formerly headed by Shahzad Akbar, which, he said, confirmed the £190 million as recovered funds received from the NCA.
