THE former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were convicted to 14 years imprisonment each in a case relating to illegal sale of official giftsannounced today by his party.

The verdict also includes a 10-year ban on them from holding public office, the media arm of Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said.

Their sentencing by an anti-corruption court in Islamabad comes a day after Khan was sentenced in another case to 10 years in prison for revealing state secrets, one week before the national elections.

“Another sad day in the history of our judicial system, which is falling apart,” Khan’s team told the media.

“Review was not allowed, final purchases were not completed and the decision is coming as if in a pre-decided process,” he said, adding, “this ridiculous decision will also be challenged.”

Khan was given another three-year prison sentence last August by another court for selling gifts worth more than 140 million rupees ($501,000) that belonged to the state and which he received during his tenure as prime minister from 2018 to 2022.

Today’s decision is related to the same issue, but was announced after an investigation by the country’s top anti-corruption body, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), which also charged his wife in the case.

Khan’s previous sentence of three years in prison was later suspended, but Khan remains in prison on other charges. He has declared that he legally bought the official gifts.

In Pakistan, all official gifts must be declared and officials are only allowed to keep those whose value is below a certain amount or can be purchased at an officially agreed price.

Government officials have alleged that associates of Khan sold the gifts in Dubai.

The election campaign ahead of parliamentary and regional elections on February 8 has been marred by allegations of fraud and repression against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.