A Pakistani accountability court delivered a significant blow to former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi on Saturday, sentencing each to 17 years of imprisonment in the Toshakhana 2 corruption case. The verdict, pronounced amid heightened political scrutiny, pertains to allegations of fraudulent handling of valuable state gifts received during Khan's tenure as head of government.
The core of the case revolves around accusations that the couple illicitly retained and sold high-value items, including luxury watches, diamond jewellery sets, and gold ornaments, gifted by the Saudi government in 2021. These items were required by law to be deposited in the Toshakhana, the official repository for state gifts, but were allegedly disposed of privately, constituting a breach of public trust and anti-corruption regulations.
Special court judge Shahrukh Arjumand announced the judgment within the confines of Rawalpindi's high-security Adiala Jail, where both Khan and Bushra Bibi are already detained following convictions in separate cases earlier in the year. The sentence structure includes 10 years of rigorous imprisonment under Section 409 of the Pakistan Penal Code for criminal breach of trust, combined with seven years under various provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
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In addition to the custodial terms, the court levied substantial financial penalties, imposing a fine of PKR 16.4 million on each defendant. The proceedings, initiated in July 2024, advanced swiftly despite interim bail grants from the Islamabad High Court—first to Bushra in October and subsequently to Khan in November—with formal charges framed in December of the previous year.
Khan and Bushra Bibi now have the option to challenge the conviction through appeals in the High Court, as the legal battle continues against the backdrop of their ongoing incarceration related to the Al-Qadir Trust case. This latest development further complicates the political landscape for the former premier and his party ahead of future electoral contests.
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