Wife of ex-Pakistan PM granted bail

A Pakistani court has granted bail to the wife of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan in a graft case, nearly nine months after she was arrested, her lawyer said.

Bushra Bibi was arrested after a court on January 31 convicted and sentenced the couple to 14 years in jail after finding them guilty of retaining and selling state gifts in violation of government rules when Khan was in power.

Bibi is Khan's third wife and a spiritual healer. She has denied any wrongdoing. She has been detained at the Adiala prison in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, where Khan is also serving his sentence.

Naeem Haider Panjutha, a lawyer, said the court approved Bibi's bail and ordered her immediate release.

However, Bibi could not be freed because of the absence of court officials who had to issue an order to the prison officials about her release, Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, or PTI said.

Officials said Bibi is likely to be freed on Thursday once the paperwork has been completed.

Authorities have registered multiple cases against Khan since 2022, when he was ousted in a no-confidence vote in parliament. Khan has been embroiled in more than 150 legal cases, including inciting violence, since his initial arrest in May 2023. He was imprisoned in August 2023 in a graft case.