Pakistan court rejects acquittal plea from former premier and wife in graft case

ISLAMABAD -- A Pakistani court on Thursday rejected a plea for acquittal from former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has been held in prison for more than a year in a graft case, a defense lawyer said.

The court order was another blow to Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi, who were accused of retaining and selling state gifts in violation of government rules when he was in power.

The couple will be formally indicted in the case on Nov. 18 when the next court hearing is held. Khan and Bibi have denied the charges, saying they were not involved in any wrongdoing.

Naeem Panjutha, a lawyer for Khan, who remains a popular opposition figure, confirmed that the court had turned down the acquittal plea from the former premier and his wife. He gave no further details.

Under Pakistan's laws, government officials and politicians are allowed to retain gifts given to them by foreign dignitaries, but they must correctly declare the market value of those gifts and declare any money they earned after selling those gifts. The couple is accused of buying state gifts including wrist watches and jewelry at reduced prices when Khan was in power.

Authorities have registered multiple cases against Khan since 2022 when he was ousted from power through a vote of no-confidence in the parliament. The former leader was convicted over corruption, unlawful marriage and revealing national secrets, and was given sentences ranging from three to 14 years to be served concurrently under Pakistani law.

His convictions were later overturned or suspended in appeals but he could not be freed due to other, pending cases against him.