Freedom around the corner: Imran Khan's legal woes coming to an end

Imran Khan has either been acquitted or granted bail in most of the cases he faced during the past year and a half.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding chirman Imran Khan has faced a barrage of cases since his April 2022 ouster from the position of Prime Minister.

His party has said that the more than 200 cases are politically motivated.

With his latest acquittal in the Iddat Nikkah cases, Khan technically is a free man. Apart from acquittals he has also been granted bails in the cases filed against him. Here is a look at the major cases he faced and their current status

May 9 riots:

Khan was booked in multiple cases related to the unrest that took place across the country on May 9, 2023 in the aftermath of his arrest from a courtroom in Islamabad.

During the chaos the mobs had attacked civilian and military installations.

Khan has denied responsibility and has been acquitted or granted bail in many of those cases.

Toshakhana (State gifts case)

Imran Khan was handed a three-year prison sentence in the ToshaKhana or state gifts case in August 2023.

He was previously arrested on May 9 in connection with the same case.

This was the first of four convictions for Khan, with the other three coming in the lead-up to the February general elections.

Although his sentence was later suspended, he remained in jail in connection with the slew of other cases filed against him.

Khan was again convicted by a session court in a similar case in January 2024, but the IHC in April struck down the sentence.

The court had also granted bail to the PTI founder and his wife Bushra Bibi.

Cipher case

Khan was convicted for 10 years in prison on charges of making public a classified cable sent to Islamabad by Pakistan's ambassador in Washington in 2022.

The Islamabad High Court acquitted Imran Khan and Shah Mehmood Qureshi earlier in June.

Khan had claimed the cable was proof of a conspiracy by the Pakistan military and US government to topple his government in 2022. Washington and Pakistan's military denied that accusation.

Al-Qadir Varsity case:

The IHC had recently also granted bail to Khan and his wife in the 190 million pound Al Qadir varsity land corruption case.

In December, NAB had filed a corruption reference against Imran and seven others, including his wife.

The case alleges that Imran and Bushra obtained billions of rupees and land worth hundreds of kanals for legalising Rs50 billion – at that time £190 million – that was identified and returned to the country by the UK during the PTI government in 2019.

Iddat case:

Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were sentenced to seven years imprisonment in February over the Iddat Nikkah case.

The case was filed by Bibi's first husband, Khawar Maneka, who accused the couple of tying the knot while the former first lady was going through the Iddat period.

Khan and Bibi had both filed appeals denying any wrongdoing. Their sentencing in the case had generated a strong backlash from lawyers and civil society.

The couple were acquitted in the case and their conviction was overturned.