Islamabad, 31 January 2024 (dpa) – A court in Pakistan on Wednesday handed a 14-year prison sentence to former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife for stealing expensive gifts that were in state possession, his lawyer said.

The conviction came a day after another court handed Khan and his former foreign minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, a 10-year prison sentence for leaking the content of a classified diplomatic cable.

The latest conviction means Khan won't be able to contest the national election set to take place on February 8, the court order said.

The 71-year-old former sports star, who was ousted in April 2022 through a parliamentary vote of no confidence, won't be able to seek another term for at least a decade.  

Khan was convicted and jailed for three years by the same tribunal on the same charges last year, but a high court suspended the conviction and ordered a retrial.

Khan had allegedly stolen several expensive gifts he had received from heads of other states and governments during his tenure as premier between 2018 and 2022. 

Pakistan's law says gifts received from other countries have to be submitted to the state kitty.

Khan, who was once supported by the country's powerful military, seems unlikely to be able to return to politics after he fell out of favour with the generals, who have ruled the nuclear-armed Islamic republic for decades. 

Khan's predecessor, Nawaz Sharif,is now the frontrunner to become the new prime minister. He was also convicted weeks ahead of elections in 2018 on charges similar to Khan's.