Islamabad : Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former prime minister Imran Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi were convicted on Saturday in the Toshakhana-2 case after a special court issued its written ruling, holding both responsible for criminal breach of trust.
As per the court’s judgment, Imran Khan has been handed a total sentence of 17 years, consisting of 10 years under Section 409 of the Pakistan Penal Code and an additional 7 years under the Anti-Corruption Act. His wife, Bushra Bibi, has been sentenced to an identical 17-year prison term.
Furthermore, the court imposed a fine of Rs 16,425,650 on each of the accused, with a six-month imprisonment penalty to be enforced if they fail to pay the fine.
Following the court’s decision, prison authorities swiftly acted to implement the sentence, ensuring that all required formalities were completed according to the legal ruling. Additionally, Bushra Bibi’s bail in the case was automatically revoked after the conviction, and both she and Khan are now serving sentences in the 190 million pound case. The sentence for the Toshakhana-2 case became effective immediately.
In its written judgment, the court emphasized that the prosecution had proved its case against both accused beyond reasonable doubt. The judge also noted that the minimum possible punishment was handed down, taking into account Imran Khan’s age and Bushra Bibi’s gender. The period they had already spent in detention was also factored into their sentences.
This case centers around the Bulgari jewelry set that Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi reportedly retained after it was given to them as a gift by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his visit to Saudi Arabia in July 2021. The prosecution claimed the couple kept the jewelry, which included a necklace, bracelet, ring, and earrings, without depositing it in the Toshakhana—the official state gift repository—as required by law.
According to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the jewelry set was valued at over Rs 70 million. The FIA also argued that Khan and his wife had undervalued the items at Rs 5.9 million by having a private firm assess their worth. The undervaluation was allegedly influenced by Inamullah Shah, Imran Khan’s former private secretary, who pressured the appraiser Sohail Abbasi to lower the price. Abbasi later testified in court that he was forced into undervaluing the jewelry.
Khan and Bushra Bibi insisted that they had paid half of the assessed value for the gift, but the FIA obtained official documentation from Bulgari in Italy confirming the true value of the jewelry, which was far higher than what had been stated in the valuation report.
Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were taken into custody by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on July 13, 2024, while both were already in detention at Adiala Jail. After spending 37 days in NAB custody, the case was transferred to an FIA court following the Supreme Court’s reinstatement of amendments to the NAB law in September 2024.
The trial began on September 16, 2024, and over the following months, 80 hearings were held. 20 prosecution witnesses testified, including Brigadier (retd) Muhammad Ahmed, Sohail Abbasi, and Inamullah Shah.
On October 23, 2024, Bushra Bibi was granted bail by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and released the following day. Imran Khan received bail on November 20, 2024, with the formal charges against him framed on December 12, 2024.
Throughout the trial, Barrister Salman Safdar, representing the defense, expressed concerns over the fairness of the proceedings. The defense team claimed that they were informed too late about the court’s plans and that the ruling was announced without the presence of their lawyers. PTI leader Salman Akram Raja also criticized the process, arguing that the case lacked credible evidence and had been built on shaky grounds. He dismissed the case as weak, pointing out that the main witness was someone who had been dismissed by Khan.
Imran Khan’s sister, Aleema Khan, voiced her discontent with the verdict, calling it part of an ongoing campaign of injustice against the family over the last few years. She stated that the family could not reach Adiala Jail due to heavy fog, and claimed that authorities had set up roadblocks a kilometer away from the prison, preventing them from attending the hearing.
Following the conviction, Khan’s legal team plans to file an appeal against the ruling in the High Court, seeking to challenge the decision and have the case reviewed.
Despite the legal setback, PTI leadership has expressed confidence in continuing its political struggle, arguing that the case is politically motivated. This high-profile conviction of the former prime minister and his wife has significant political implications and is likely to remain a key issue in Pakistan’s ongoing legal and political landscape.
