Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for corruption, another setback for the embattled leader who has spent more than 18 months in jail and faces more than 100 case.

Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were found guilty of illegally acquiring lucrative land worth billions of rupees through corrupt deals with Pakistani real estate tycoons. Khan was sentenced to 14 years in prison and his wife to seven years in prison and fined 1 million Pakistani rupees (£2,900).

The accountability court that ruled on the case was specially set up in Rawalpindi's Adyalia jail, where Khan has been lodged since his arrest in August 2023. After the verdict, Bibi was arrested in court.

Khan, who remains the country's most popular politician, insists the cases against him are part of a "political voodoo" aimed at removing him from power. Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party ruled from 2018 to 2022 but was overthrown after losing the support of the country's powerful military. He subsequently engaged in a public feud with the army leadership, accusing them of involvement in a plot to assassinate him.

Since his arrest, he has faced a growing number of cases, including murder, terrorism and undermining national security. Khan was convicted in three cases, including selling state secrets and illegal marriage, but the cases were later overturned or suspended last year. However, he remains behind bars.

Khan's party called the ruling a "black day" in a statement and claimed it demonstrated a lack of independence in Pakistan's courts.

Khan's adviser and PTI spokesperson Zulfi Bukhari said they would appeal the verdict to the high court, claiming the judge in the case had "no credibility".

“This is another example of undeclared martial law in practice, which allows those in power to make a mockery of the judicial system in order to silence their political opponents,” Buhari said. “Imran Khan is strong and determined and he will continue to fight for justice and fight to restore the rule of law and democracy in his country.”

Khan has previously called the case a "sham" case involving Malik Riaz, one of Pakistan's richest and most powerful real estate developers. According to the charges, Khan and Bibi struck a quid pro quo with Riaz, who gave them large chunks of lucrative land to build a university for the poor in return for letting Riaz launder $239m (£195m). ).

Reports emerged on Friday that senior PTI members had met the military leadership. But after his conviction, Khan stood outside the court and said he would not pursue any backdoor deals to gain his freedom. "I will not make any deal and I will not seek any relief," Khan told reporters. "Those who oppose the dictatorship will be punished."