A Pakistani court sentenced former Prime Minister Imran Khan to 14 years imprisonment on Friday in a land corruption case, a setback to nascent talks between his party and the government aimed at cooling political instability in the south Asian nation.

A Trump ally has called on Pakistan to release the former prime minister from prison, inspiring fervent hope among his supporters.

A Pakistani court sentenced former prime minister Imran Khan to 14 years imprisonment on Friday in a land corruption case, while his wife, increasingly visible in their political party's politics, received a seven-year sentence.