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       In His Second Sentencing in Two Days, Imran Khan Gets 14 Years

       The sentences, just over a week before Pakistan’s national election, come as the former prime minister’s party has been battered by a crackdown.

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       Former Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, signing papers for bail last year. Credit...Arif Ali/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

       By Salman Masood

       Reporting from Islamabad, Pakistan

       Jan. 31, 2024, 3:40 a.m. ET

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       Just a day after he was sentenced to a decade in prison, former Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan on Wednesday was ordered jailed for 14 years in a separate case, dealing him another heavy blow in his bitter feud with the country’s powerful military.

       The new sentence, handed down eight days before a scheduled national election in which Mr. Khan’s party has been battered by a widening crackdown, came in a case involving state gifts. His wife, Bushra Bibi, also received a 14-year sentence. Both have denied any wrongdoing.

       In announcing the verdict at the high-security prison where Mr. Khan, 71, has been held for months, the judge also said that the former prime minister and his wife would be barred from holding office for 10 years.

       Mr. Khan questioned the fairness and impartiality of the trial during the hearing on Wednesday. He asked the judge: “Why are you in a hurry to announce the verdict? I have not even recorded my final statement.” Mr. Khan then exited the courtroom, and the judge announced the sentence in his absence.

       His lawyers said they would appeal the verdict. They have also said they will appeal the 10-year sentence that Mr. Khan received on Tuesday, in a case involving state secrets.

       “These cases are not trials; this is a drama,” Syed Ali Zafar, a senior legal aide to Mr. Khan, told reporters. “The Constitution and the law have been violated; there is no doubt that this punishment will be suspended soon.”

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