A Pakistani court on Saturday sentenced former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, to 17 years imprisonment for retaining and selling state gifts, marking the latest conviction against them. A special court in Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail, where Khan is incarcerated, delivered the verdict.
The case, dubbed “Toshakhana 2,” relates to a 2021 visit to Saudi Arabia by Khan and Bibi, where they allegedly received an expensive Bulgari jewelry set from the Saudi crown prince. The prosecution argued that the jewelry set was valued at $285,000 (Rs 80 million), while the couple had only paid $10,300 (Rs 2.9 million). The two denied all allegations in the case, arguing that it was politically motivated to bar Khan from participating in politics.
The court sentenced Khan and his wife for violating sections 34 and 409 of the Pakistan Penal Code, and section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947. The charges involve the criminal breach of trust in furtherance of a common intention and joint action toward criminal misconduct. As further punishment, the court imposed a fine of $58,000 (Rs 16.4 million) on both of them.
According to Khan’s political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), there have been over 200 criminal cases filed against him since his arrest in 2023. His party and supporters claim that the state is using these criminal charges to politically persecute Khan.
Earlier this year, Pakistan’s National Accountability Bureau Court sentenced Khan to 14 years of imprisonment in the Al-Qadir corruption case. In 2024, a Pakistani court sentenced him to 10 years in the Cypher case. The Cypher case involved unveiling a secret document to the public, which purportedly demonstrated that the US orchestrated his removal from power. A court previously sentenced Khan and Bibi to seven years imprisonment for violating Islamic marriage law before the Supreme Court of Pakistan overturned the verdict.
Khan is awaiting trial on charges related to anti-terrorism for his actions during the May 2023 protests.
Authorities have held Khan in a small cell with limited sunlight, denied him interaction with other detainees, and prohibited him from attending communal prayers. UN experts have condemned Khan’s imprisonment as inhumane and undignified. In particular, UN Special Rapporteur on torture Alice Jill Edwards has warned that his detention amounts to torture.
The Pakistani government passed the 27th Amendment to the Pakistani constitution in November. Experts have deemed the amendment “the most significant restructuring of Pakistan’s judicial structure and military command since the adoption of the 1973 Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.” The amendment created the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), which assumes exclusive jurisdiction over constitutional interpretation, federal-provincial disputes, and the enforcement of fundamental rights. The Pakistani Supreme Court previously held these powers. The amendment also expands the executive’s control over judicial appointments.
Imran Khan served as Prime Minister of Pakistan from August 2018 until April 2022. Opposition lawmakers submitted a no-trust motion against Khan, leading to his removal from power. Courts have sentenced Khan in six different corruption cases since his removal from office in 2022, with the latest resulting in a total of 65 years imprisonment for the 72-year-old.
