A Pakistani court on Saturday sentenced former Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, to 17 years’ imprisonment each in a corruption case related to the underpriced purchase of luxury state gifts, widely known as the Toshakhana-2 case.
The verdict has added another dimension to Khan’s growing legal troubles as 73-year-old leader has been facing multiple legal cases since his removal from office in April 2022. In addition to corruption charges, he is also facing trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act related to the violent protests of May 9, 2023.
He has been behind bars since August 2023 and is currently serving a 14-year sentence in a separate pounds 190 million land corruption case. Bushra Bibi is also serving a seven-year sentence in the same case.
The Toshakhana-2 case concerns allegations of fraud involving state gifts received from the Saudi government in 2021. Special Judge Central Shahrukh Arjumand delivered the verdict during a hearing held inside the high-security Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, where Khan is incarcerated, the Dawn reported.
According to the prosecution, the case revolves around an expensive Bulgari jewellery set gifted to Khan by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during an official visit in May 2021. The jewellery, valued at approximately Rs80 million, was allegedly retained by Khan after paying only Rs2.9 million, a fraction of its assessed value, the Pakistani newspaper the Dawn reported.
The court sentenced Imran Khan to a total of 17 years in prison,10 years of rigorous imprisonment under Sections 34 (common intention) and 409 (criminal breach of trust) of the Pakistan Penal Code, and an additional seven years under Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Bushra Bibi received an identical sentence under the same legal provisions.
Both were also fined Rs16.4 million each. Failure to pay the fine will result in additional imprisonment. The court granted the benefit of Section 382-B of the Criminal Procedure Code, allowing the period of detention already served to be counted toward their sentences.
In its order, the court said it had considered Khan’s age and Bushra Bibi’s status as a woman while awarding what it described as a “lenient” punishment. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar stated that Khan’s sentence in the Toshakhana case would commence after completion of his current sentence.
The PTI strongly criticised the verdict, calling it the outcome of a “kangaroo court.” In a post on X, the party claimed that Khan’s family was barred from attending the hearing and described the closed-door jail trial as “neither free nor fair,” likening it to a military trial.
Imran Khan’s sister, Aleema Khan, alleged that the verdict was pre-determined and rushed. Speaking to the media, she questioned the timing and legality of the proceedings and raised concerns about what she described as Bushra Bibi’s illegal solitary confinement.
PTI leaders have argued that the case lacked credible evidence and relied on weak testimony, while Ayub said the judgment demonstrated the absence of the rule of law in Pakistan.
Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi have consistently denied all allegations, maintaining that the cases against them are politically motivated and aimed at disqualifying Khan from public life.
