Bushra Bibi Released from Prison After Nine Months Amid Rising Terrorist Attacks in Pakistan

Bushra Bibi, the wife of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, was released from Adiala jail in Rawalpindi on Thursday, October 24, after being granted bail by the Islamabad High Court, Al Jazeera reported.

The couple had been sentenced to 14 years in prison in January for allegedly selling state gifts worth over 140 million rupees ($505,000) received during Khan’s tenure from 2018 to 2022. Both deny the charges, claiming they are politically motivated.

Imran Khan, who has faced numerous legal challenges since being ousted in a no-confidence vote in 2022, remains a popular figure, with his party winning the most seats in the February general election. Bibi, initially arrested in January, was acquitted in July on unrelated charges but was quickly re-arrested in the state gifts case. Following her release, she is reportedly returning to her residence in Islamabad.

The political situation in Pakistan remains tense amid ongoing disputes between Khan and the current government. To compound the situation, the nation continues to be plagued by violence as ten police officers were killed at a check post near the Afghan border, in an attack claimed by the Pakistan Taliban, according to local sources.