In a landmark verdict on Saturday, Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were each sentenced to 17 years in prison in the Toshakhana 2 corruption case. The ruling was announced by Special Court Judge Shahrukh Arjumand at Rawalpindi’s high-security Adiala Jail, where Khan, 73, has been detained since August 2023.
The Toshakhana 2 case revolves around allegations of misappropriating valuable gifts received from the Saudi government in 2021. According to the court, both Khan and Bushra were convicted for attempting to sell state gifts, including diamond and gold jewellery sets, at undervalued rates without properly depositing them into the government repository.
The court awarded 10 years of rigorous imprisonment under Section 409 of the Pakistan Penal Code for criminal breach of trust, alongside an additional seven years under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Each was also fined PKR 16.4 million. In delivering the verdict, the court noted the age of Imran Khan and Bushra’s gender, considering these factors in issuing what it described as a “lenient” sentence.
Throughout the trial, 21 witnesses appeared, and both Khan and Bushra were present for the verdict. Khan has consistently denied the allegations, calling the case “malicious, fabricated, and politically engineered.”
The case, filed in July 2024, revealed that the actual value of the contested gifts was estimated at PKR 70 million, though they were allegedly purchased at throwaway rates of approximately PKR 5.8–5.9 million, according to Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani. The Toshakhana, a department under the Cabinet Division, oversees gifts received by government officials and provides a legal mechanism for repurchasing them after proper procedures.
Previously, Bushra Bibi was granted bail in October 2024, followed by Khan a month later. Both were formally indicted in December 2024. The couple remains incarcerated at Adiala Jail, where Khan is reportedly in good health, although access to family visits and lawyer meetings has been limited in recent weeks.
International human rights voices have also raised concerns. Last week, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Alice Jill Edwards urged Pakistan to address reports of “inhumane and undignified detention conditions,” emphasizing that solitary confinement poses serious risks to Khan’s physical and mental well-being.
Khan, who served as Pakistan’s 19th prime minister from August 2018 to April 2022, now faces a challenging legal path ahead, as both he and Bushra are entitled to appeal their convictions in the High Court. The case has sparked widespread attention across the country, highlighting ongoing debates over corruption, justice, and political accountability.
