A Pakistan accountability court on Saturday sentenced jailed former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to 17 years in prison each in the Toshakhana-2 corruption case, news agency PTI reported, citing local media.
The verdict was announced by Special Court Judge Shahrukh Arjumand inside the high-security Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, where Khan is currently incarcerated. The case relates to allegations that Khan and Bushra Bibi illegally sold or undervalued gifts received from foreign dignitaries while Khan was in office.
According to investigators, the gifts, including an expensive Bulgari jewellery set, were presented by the Saudi government during an official visit in 2021 and were later purchased at a price far below their assessed value.
Under the ruling, both Khan and Bushra Bibi were sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment under Section 409 of the Pakistan Penal Code, which deals with criminal breach of trust, and an additional seven years under various provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 10 million on each of them.
Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and a former cricket captain, has faced a series of legal cases since his government was removed through a no-confidence vote in April 2022. He was first arrested in May 2023 on corruption charges and was taken into custody again in August 2023 in connection with the Toshakhana case.
The latest sentencing comes amid sustained criticism of Pakistan’s authorities over Khan’s treatment in prison, with international rights bodies, including the United Nations, previously raising concerns about his detention conditions.
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