A Pakistan accountability court on Saturday sentenced former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to 17 years in prison each in the Toshakhana 2 corruption case, adding another conviction to the list of legal troubles facing the jailed Opposition leader.
The case relates to alleged fraud involving state gifts received by the former first couple from the Saudi government in 2021.
Prosecutors accused Khan and Bushra Bibi of misusing and improperly retaining gifts meant for the state, a charge they have consistently denied.
The verdict was announced by special court judge Shahrukh Arjumand inside the high-security Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, where Imran Khan is currently lodged.
Both were awarded 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment under Section 409 (criminal breach of trust) of the Pakistan Penal Code, along with 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.
The Toshakhana cases revolve around the handling of gifts received by public office holders during foreign visits.
While earlier cases linked to the Toshakhana had already resulted in Khan’s disqualification from public office, this second conviction deepens his legal and political crisis, even as his party continues to claim the cases are politically motivated.
