On Tuesday, former Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan was sentenced to 10 years in prison. On Wednesday, he was sentenced to another 14 years in a separate case and disqualified from holding any public office for a decade. The timing is noteworthy—not in that the sentences were handed out a day apart, but that they come just days before next Thursday's parliamentary elections. As the Wall Street Journal reports, Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, or PTI, "says that the trials are being hurriedly concluded, with the aim of convincing his voters that there is no point in voting for Khan's party." More:
- The convictions: Khan's first sentence this week was for disclosing state secrets. His second—wife Bushra Bibi was also convicted in this case—came in connection with corruption charges relating to him allegedly selling state gifts. He has denied the charges against him. Khan is already serving a three-year sentence on a corruption conviction. All three sentences will be served concurrently.