Pakistan: Imran Khan accuses judges of ‘selling their souls’, says denied justice

Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister Imran Khan has accused the country’s judiciary of bias, alleging that judges have “sold their souls for personal privileges” and that he and his wife are being denied justice.

The remarks were made during a telephonic conversation with his sons on Eid and were later shared on social media by his son Kasim Khan.

“The judges in this country should be ashamed of themselves… they have sold their integrity,” Khan was quoted as saying, adding that repeated attempts to seek relief through courts had failed.

“The judges are responsible for justice in a society. They should be ashamed of themselves,” he said.

Allegations over treatment of wife

Khan also alleged that his wife, Bushra Bibi, was being subjected to harsh conditions in custody.

“They know they cannot break me, so they turn to my wife… How can they allow this inhumane treatment… simply to blackmail me?” he said, claiming she spends most of her time in isolation.

He described such actions as “un-Islamic” and said women, children and the elderly should not be targeted.

Conviction in corruption case

Khan, 73, has been in custody since August 2023 and is lodged in Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.

He and Bushra Bibi were convicted on 17 January 2025 in the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case. Khan was sentenced to 14 years, while Bushra Bibi received a seven-year sentence.

Investigators have alleged that the case involved a loss of PKR 50 billion to the national exchequer in a property-related deal — charges denied by Khan.

Family access and visa row

Khan’s sons, Suleman and Kasim, who live in London with their mother Jemima Goldsmith, spoke to him after a prolonged gap.

According to his party, restrictions have been placed on his meetings with family and lawyers.

The sons have said they wish to visit Pakistan but have not been granted visas. Pakistan’s Information Minister Atta Tarar has said they can travel using their NICOP (National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis), while Jemima has expressed concerns over their legal protection.

Khan, founder of PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf), also faces cases under the Anti-Terrorism Act linked to protests on 9 May 2023.

His latest remarks come amid ongoing political tensions between his party and the government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.