Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were found guilty of corruption in relation to selling state gifts. The ruling is the latest legal setback for the former prime minister, who has been jailed since 2023. A court in Pakistan on Saturday sentenced former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to 17 years in prison after being found guilty of corruption. The court's decision is the latest setback for Khan, who has been accused in multiple cases since he was ousted in 2022. Khan, who is 73, has been in prison since 2023. He denies the charges, accusing Pakistani authorities of politically persecuting him. What Was the Case against Khan and His Wife? Khan and Bibi were found guilty of retaining, selling and underpricing state gifts while the former prime minister was in office. The gifts they were accused of selling at vastly reduced prices included jewelry from the Saudi Arabian government. Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman presented a jewellery set made by the Italian luxury brand Bulgari to Khan and his wife in May 2021. Prosecutors said Khan and his wife had said the value of the gifts was just over USD 10,000, well short of their real market value of USD 285,521 (Euro 243,780). According to Pakistani law, government officials and politicians are allowed to keep gifts received from foreign dignitaries if they are under a certain value. To keep the gifts, they must purchase them at market value and declare the proceeds from any sale. Khan and Bibi were sentenced to 10 years for criminal breach of trust and seven years for corruption. Saturday's sentencing is separate from an earlier case against the couple. In that case, Khan and his wife were sentenced to 14 and seven years, respectively. Read More 23 Afghan Taliban Soldiers Killed in Pakistan's Attack What Has Been the Reaction to Khan's Sentencing? Khan's lawyer, Salman Safdar, has said the couple will appeal the ruling. A spokesperson for Khan, Zulfiquar Bukhari, slammed the sentence, which he said "raises serious questions about the fairness and impartiality of the process, turning justice into a tool for selective prosecution." Khan's party, the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party (PTI), also condemned the ruling. In a statement, it called the decision "a black chapter in history." In a post on X, the party said Khan's family had been barred from the court when the verdict was announced at the Adiala prison in Rawalpindi. "A closed-door jail trial is neither free nor fair. It is, in fact, a military trial," PTI said. While Khan's supporters and party roundly condemned the verdict, Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the court had "delivered a fair decision." Khan was removed from power in a no-confidence vote in April 2022. His PTI party is in opposition in parliament. Despite the multiple corruption convictions, Khan — a former cricket star who captained the national team — remains a popular figure in Pakistan.

At least 23 Afghan Taliban soldiers were killed in two consecutive days of attacks by the Pakistani Army. This information was reported on Sunday (December 7) by Pakistan's leading news outlet, The News. According to the report, the exchange of fire occurred in the Jaman Sector of the Chaman border in Balochistan. Citing a reliable source, the report states that Afghan Taliban soldiers first violated the ceasefire using small arms to shoot at Pakistani border guards late on Friday night. The Pakistani Army retaliated immediately. The exchange of fire initially involved light weapons, but as the situation escalated, the two sides continued firing for about 45 minutes. To bring the situation under control, Pakistani soldiers subsequently deployed heavy weapons, including rocket launchers and artillery. This resulted in the complete destruction of at least three Afghan Taliban border outposts. The source claimed that accurate and targeted weapons were used to minimize the risk of harm to ordinary Afghan citizens. Pakistani sources claim that after the initial round of firing, Afghan Taliban fighters retreated to populated areas and fired from there again. Following this, the Pakistani side also used heavy weapons to retaliate in those areas. There are currently no reports of civilian casualties in the conflict. There has also been no official response from the Afghan Taliban.

The leadership of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the main opposition party, has called for a major protest demanding an immediate meeting with the party's imprisoned leader and former Prime Minister, Imran Khan, in jail. The protest, called amid continuing rumors about his death, is scheduled to take place today, Tuesday (December 2), near Adiala Jail and the Islamabad High Court. In response to the PTI workers' planned demonstration, Section 144 has been imposed in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, banning all types of public gatherings and rallies. The administrations of the Islamabad Capital Territory and the Rawalpindi District issued the order on Monday (December 1). An order signed by Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner Hasan Waqar Cheema states that Section 144 will remain in force until Wednesday (December 3). Under the law, any assembly, gathering, congregation, procession, rally, demonstration, public meeting, and any similar assembly of five or more persons is prohibited. The government announcement stated that the decision was taken "to maintain the security, peace, and stability of the general public." Imran Khan is currently detained in Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. According to court orders, his relatives must be allowed to meet with the former Prime Minister every week. However, jail authorities have prevented anyone from meeting Khan for over four weeks. Read More Trump Holds Venezuela Meeting as Maduro Rejects 'Slave's Peace' Last week, Imran Khan’s three sisters were unable to meet him, despite staging a protest on the road outside the prison for over 12 hours. They were forcibly removed from the road. Consequently, various rumors about Imran Khan have spread both nationally and internationally. Some speculate that the PTI leader has been moved from Adiala Jail to another location. Rumors of his death have also circulated on social media, leading to heightened political tensions in Pakistan. The jail authorities issued a statement last Wednesday (November 26), claiming that Imran Khan is still in Adiala Jail and is healthy. In this situation, Khan's two sons have expressed concern about their father's safety, fearing that the jail authorities may be concealing the truth about his current condition. In an interview with the news agency Reuters, his younger son, Qasim Khan, said that the family has not had direct or credible contact with Imran Khan. He added, "Not knowing whether he is safe, whether he is injured, or whether he is even alive, is a form of psychological torture." The 72-year-old Imran Khan has been imprisoned since August 2023. He was ousted from power after losing a no-confidence vote in Parliament in 2022. Since then, he has faced numerous cases and has been convicted and sentenced in several. Imran Khan maintains that all the cases against him are politically motivated.

Mystery is deepening over the physical condition of former Prime Minister and imprisoned leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan. His sisters are repeatedly being denied permission to meet him, a situation further escalated by a violent police assault on them outside Adiala Jail, which has fueled widespread panic and unrest. Amid this uncertainty, multiple social media accounts have claimed that Imran Khan died in jail custody. This news has spread panic among his supporters, causing the entire country of Pakistan to become tense. Thousands of PTI activists have gathered in the area surrounding Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. Imran Khan has been imprisoned in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail since 2023. Recently, the government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has imposed a strict ban on meetings with him. Khan’s three sisters—Noreen Khan, Aleema Khan, and Uzma Khan—allege they have not been allowed to meet their brother for more than three weeks. On Tuesday night (November 25), the sisters, accompanied by party workers, gathered outside the jail demanding a meeting with the former Prime Minister, but they were attacked. PTI stated that Khan's three sisters and supporters were subjected to police assault while holding a protest outside the prison. Read More Hong Kong High-Rise Fire Kills at Least 44, Still Burning Police allegedly "brutally beat" the workers participating in the sit-in. The party accused that their "crime" was simply demanding a meeting with Imran Khan. PTI has demanded an impartial investigation into the "brutal" police assault on Khan's three sisters and supporters. In a letter addressed to Punjab Police Chief Usman Anwar, Imran Khan’s three sisters stated that the police launched a "brutal and orchestrated" attack without provocation. Noreen Khan said, "We were peacefully protesting over concerns for his physical condition." She added, "We did not block the road, nor did we obstruct public movement, nor did we engage in any unlawful conduct. Yet, the streetlights in the area outside the jail were turned off, and immediately afterward, members of the Punjab Police launched a brutal and orchestrated attack on us." She recounted, "I am 71 years old. I was seized by my hair, violently thrown to the ground, and beaten on the road by the police. Other women present there were also beaten and dragged away by the police." PTI claims the government is keeping Imran Khan completely isolated in solitary confinement. One of Khan’s lawyers said that access to books, essential items, and even meetings with lawyers have been blocked. Advocate Khalid Yusuf Chaudhary commented, "The law of the jungle prevails here; only the beast who rules has rights. No one else has any rights." However, jail authorities have dismissed the rumors of Imran Khan’s death. On Wednesday (November 26), the Adiala Jail administration issued a statement claiming he is "healthy in prison." Jail officials emphasized that the speculation about his health status is "baseless," assuring that the PTI chairman is receiving full medical care. Source: The Times of India, NDTV, and Pakistan Today

Afghanistan's ruling Taliban government has accused Pakistan of launching a devastating air strike in the country's southeastern region overnight. The attack allegedly killed at least 10 people, including nine children and one woman. International news outlet Al Jazeera reported the information on Tuesday (November 25), citing the Taliban government. Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid stated that Pakistani forces bombed a house in the Gorboz district of Khost province under the cover of darkness. In a post on the social media platform X, he claimed that the home of Walyat Khan Kazi Mir’s son was completely destroyed. Mujahid confirmed the casualties included nine children—five boys and four girls—and one woman. He further alleged that the air strikes were not limited to Khost but also targeted the northeastern Kunar and eastern Paktika provinces. These multiple attacks reportedly injured at least four additional civilians. There was no immediate comment available from the Pakistani side regarding the allegations. It is anticipated that the situation will significantly escalate tensions between the two neighboring countries.