Imran Khan - The African Mirror

Apr

2024

Imran Khan: Pakistan court suspends jail sentence in graft appeal

A Pakistani court granted former Prime Minister Imran Khan an appeal of his graft conviction and suspended his 14-year jail sentence, his lawyer said, a relief for his embattled party which had won most seats in February's national polls. Just a week ahead of the February 8 elections, Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were both handed a 14-year sentence on charges of unlawfully selling state gifts by an anti-graft court. Despite the suspension, Khan will remain in jail on multiple other sentences which were imposed on the ex-cricket star ahead of the polls, which also disqualified him from holding any public…

Feb

2024

By CHARLOTTE GREENFIELD and ARIBA SHAHID

Pakistan’s Khan-backed independents lead in final poll count

WORLD

THE final results of Pakistan's national election put independents, backed by jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, in the lead with 93 of 264 seats. The party of another former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, was second with 75 seats after Thursday's vote, lacking a clear majority but it was the largest single party in parliament as Khan's independents ran as individuals. As coalition talks were held and protesters blocked roads in the north of the country, it was not clear who would form a government. The final tally of votes was published by the election commission more than 60 hours…

Feb

2024

By GIBRAN NAIYYAR PESHIMAM, ASIF SHAHZAD and ARIBA SHAHID

Pakistan ex-PMs and bitter rivals Sharif and Khan both claim poll win

WORLD

FORMER Pakistani prime ministers and bitter rivals Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan both declared victory in elections marred by delayed results and militant attacks, throwing the country into further political turmoil. Sharif's party won the most seats by a single party in Thursday's election, but supporters of imprisoned Khan, who ran as independents instead of as a single bloc after his party was barred from the polls, won the most seats overall. Sharif said his party would talk to other groups to form a coalition government as it had failed to win a clear majority on its own. Sharif's announcement…

Feb

2024

By CHARLOTTE GREENFIELD and ASIF SHAHZAD

Blasts near Pakistan candidates’ offices kill 26 on eve of election

WORLD

TWO explosions near electoral candidates' offices in Pakistan's southwestern province of Balochistan killed 26 people and wounded dozens, officials said, raising concerns over security on the eve of a general election. Pakistan goes to the polls on Thursday amid rising militant attacks and the jailing of Imran Khan, the winner of the last national election, who has been dominating the headlines despite an economic crisis and other woes threatening the nuclear-armed country. Authorities have said they are boosting security at polling booths. The first attack, which killed 14 people, took place at the office of an independent election candidate in Pishin district. The second…

Feb

2024

By GIBRAN NAIYYAR PESHIMAM and ARIBA SHAHID

Imran Khan and his wife get seven-year prison sentence for unlawful marriage

WORLD

FORMER Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Khan were sentenced to seven years in prison and fined by a court that ruled their 2018 marriage broke the law, his party said. It was the third ruling against Khan this week and comes ahead of national elections on Thursday that he is barred from contesting. Khan, 71, has in recent days been sentenced to 10 years for leaking state secrets and 14 years along with his wife for illegally selling state gifts. His representatives say he will launch appeals in all three cases. It was not immediately clear if his various sentences would…

Feb

2024

By ASIF SHAHZAD

Who is Bushra Bibi, Pakistan ex-PM Imran Khan’s wife jailed for corruption?

WORLD

BUSHRA Khan, the wife of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was sentenced to 14 years in jail, is known for her spirituality. Khan, 71, has often called Bushra his spiritual leader and she is known for her devotion to Sufism, a mystical form of Islam. Born Bushra Riaz Watto, she changed her name to Khan after her marriage. Her husband and followers commonly refer to her as Bushra Bibi or Bushra Begum, titles that in Urdu denote respect. She has kept a low profile since her marriage to Khan, a former cricket hero who has been in the public eye for…

Jan

2024

By GIBRAN NAIYYAR PESHIMAM and ARIBA SHAHID

Pakistan court jails ex-PM Imran Khan for 10 years ahead of election

WORLD

A Pakistan court jailed Imran Khan for 10 years for leaking state secrets, the harshest sentence the popular former prime minister and cricket superstar has received and announced just days before a general election. The special court found Khan, 71, guilty of making public the contents of a secret cable sent by Pakistan's ambassador in Washington to the government in Islamabad, his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said. Former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi was also sentenced to 10 years in the same case. Khan had earlier been sentenced to three years in jail in a corruption case in August, which ruled him…

Nov

2023

By ASIF SHAHZAD

Pakistan’s top court accepts Imran Khan’s plea for bail

WORLD

PAKISTAN'S Supreme Court accepted a bail application from detained former Prime Minister Imran Khan, his lawyer said, a day after another court declared illegal his trial on charges of leaking state secrets. The former cricket star is fighting various legal battles in the hope of securing release from jail and leading his party in a campaign for a Feb. 8 general election, which his arch-rival, another former prime minister, is hoping to win. The 71-year-old was jailed on Aug. 5 for three years jail for unlawfully selling state gifts during his tenure as prime minister from 2018 to 2022. His…

May

2023

By The African Mirror

Analysis: Pakistan in uncharted territory as army seeks to vanquish Imran Khan

WORLD

GIBRAN NAIYYAR PESHIMAM PAKISTAN'S military has struck back after an unprecedented challenge to its hegemony by the popular Imran Khan and his followers, but the nuclear-armed nation remains caught between its most powerful institution and the man who was once a firm ally. Khan's arrest on corruption charges earlier this month, which he says was at the behest of the generals, led to violent nationwide protests, and attacks on military buildings and on the homes of senior officers, allegedly by the former prime minister's supporters. There has never been that kind of challenge to Pakistan's military, which has held sway over the country…

May

2023

By The African Mirror

Wife of Pakistan’s Imran Khan, charged with graft, is known for spirituality

WORLD

ASIF SHAHZAD BUSHRA Khan, the wife of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan, is facing corruption charges in the same case that led to his arrest on May 9. On Monday, he accompanied her to a court that granted her protective bail. She is known for her spirituality and devotion to Sufism, a mystical form of Islam. Khan, 70, has often called Bushra his spiritual leader. Born Bushra Riaz Watto, she changed her name to Khan after her marriage. Her husband and followers commonly refer to her as Bushra Bibi or Bushra Begum, titles that in Urdu denote respect. She has kept a low profile since her…