Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi sentenced to 17 years in Toshakhana corruption case, fined Rs 16.4M each. Appeal to Supreme Court soon.

In a recent decision, former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi were given sentences of 17 years apiece. In the Toshakhana corruption case, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) founder and his spouse were sentenced on Saturday by a special Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) court, according to Dawn news.

The decision, which was given inside the Adiala jail in Rawalpindi, also hit them with fines of Rs 16.4 million apiece, with additional jail time imposed if they didn’t pay.

The verdict was delivered by Special Judge Central Shahrukh Arjumand at a session held inside the prison where Imran is still detained. Dawn stated that the judge adopted a “lenient” stance because of Imran’s advanced age and Bushra’s gender, citing the court order:

“This court took into account both Bushra Imran Khan’s gender and Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi’s advanced age when imposing punishments. A lenient stance in imposing a lighter sentence has been adopted in light of both of the aforementioned criteria.

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In addition to seven years in prison under Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act (criminal misconduct by public personnel), Imran was sentenced to ten years of hard imprisonment under Sections 34 (common intention) and 409 (criminal breach of trust) of the Pakistan Penal Code. Bushra was subject to the same provisions and the same total. Under Section 382-B of the CrPC, the court gave them relief, taking into account their earlier incarceration when determining their sentences.

The Purpose of the Corruption Case

The case centers on a sumptuous collection of Bulgari jewelry that the Saudi Crown Prince gave to Imran during an official visit in May 2021. Prosecutors claimed the couple violated state gift laws by snatching it up at a discount.

Imran and Bushra dismissed all accusations back in October, calling them a “fabricated and politically motivated” scheme to get him out of parliament.

Using Section 342 CrPC to record his statement, Imran described the prosecution’s story as “malicious, fabricated, and politically engineered.” He maintained that, according to the law, he was not a “public servant” and that he was not aware of all the specifics of the gift that was given to his wife.

Khan insisted that he “We complied with the Toshakhana Policy in letter and spirit,” he said. He claimed that when payment reached the national treasury, the present was valued, went through PM Office procedure, and remained lawful.

Following the couple’s indictment in December of last year, their attorneys vowed to immediately appeal to the supreme court.