Imran, Bushra get 17-year prison terms in Toshakhana-II graft case

ISLAMABAD: A special court has sentenced Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder and former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to a total of 34 years in prison and a fine of Rs32,851,300 in the Toshakhana-II case.

In case of non-payment of the fine, the accused will have to serve another six months in prison. The court decision said that Imran has been given leniency on the basis of his age and Bushra Bibi being a woman.

On Saturday, Special Judge Central Shahrukh Arjumand pronounced the verdict in the Toshakhana II case in Adiala jail. Present in the courtroom were the PTI founder, his wife Bushra Bibi and their lawyers Salman Safdar and Arshad Tabrez. Imran’s sisters Aleema Khan, Noreen Niazi, Dr Uzma Khan and lawyer Salman Akram Raja were present outside the jail.

According to the written verdict, the former prime minister and his spouse were found guilty of criminal breach of trust and corruption charges. The verdict states that during the proceedings, Imran Khan was produced in custody, having been on bail in this case but imprisoned in other cases, while Bushra Imran Khan was also produced in court due to being in jail in another case. The prosecution’s written rebuttal arguments were submitted on 19 December, 2025.

The court, in its detailed verdict, stated that the prosecution presented direct, credible and strong evidence against both the accused, proving the charges. Imran Khan was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment and a fine of Rs16,425,650 for criminal breach of trust with common intention under Sections 34 and 409 of the Pakistan Penal Code. Similarly, he was sentenced to another seven years of imprisonment for corruption under section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947.

Bushra Bibi was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment and a fine of Rs16,425,650 for criminal breach of trust under Sections 34 and 409 of the PPC. She was also sentenced to seven years imprisonment for corruption under Section 109 of the PPC along with Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947.

While pronouncing the sentence, the court took into account Imran’s age and the female status of Bushra Bibi as mitigating factors and decided to give a lesser sentence on the same basis. The court also gave the benefit of Section 382-B of the Criminal Procedure Code to both convicts, under which the imprisonment already served will be counted towards the sentence. The court ordered that certified copies of the judgment be provided free of cost to both the convicts.

It should be noted that Imran and Bushra Bibi visited Saudi Arabia from July 7 to 10, 2021. They retained a Bulgari jewellery set received as a gift, paying half its assessed price. The accused were charged with pressuring valuator Sohaib Abbasi through Inamullah Shah to lower the price. Shah and Abbasi are witnesses in the case. The case stated that the accused obtained and retained jewellery from Toshakhana at a low price against the law. The set was valued at approximately Rs75 million. NAB arrested both accused on 13 July, with sentencing on 14 July. The case was initially investigated by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), which filed a reference on August 19, 2024. After the restoration of NAB amendments by the Supreme Court, the case was transferred to an FIA court on 9 September, where it was tried for 15 months. The prosecution presented 20 witnesses, with statements of 18 recorded.

Meanwhile, the PTI and members of Imran’s family condemned the verdict. In a post on X, the PTI called it a “kangaroo court” verdict from a “closed-door jail trial”.

Aleema, while speaking to the media, criticised the verdict and alleged that decisions against Imran were being delivered under a pre-written script. Aleema claimed that those behind the cases were “not intelligent people” and that she failed to understand their scripts. “What difference does it make whether you sentence them to ten years or fourteen years? Earlier, you already gave them 14 years,” she said. “Our patience and the patience of the people have run out,” she said, adding that the alleged plan was to announce a new decision every six months.

She added: “We were expecting this for two months. The people of Pakistan will not allow this to happen anymore.” She also questioned the legality of the treatment being meted out to Bushra Bibi, asking why she had been kept in what she described as illegal solitary confinement.

Aleema claimed that Khan had directed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi to prepare for a street movement. “We will go to the high court for an appeal. We are going to the Supreme Court on Monday over the mistreatment of Imran. We will come here again to Adiala on Tuesday.”

Advocate Salman Safdar, speaking to the media outside the Adiala jail, said: “All of us lawyers were informed at 8 am. We were suddenly informed about the Toshakhana case. The case was adjourned on October 16. Today, the arguments were to be completed. The verdict was pronounced in the absence of the accused and lawyers. The judge had brought the written verdict. Both were sentenced to 17 years in prison and fined Rs16.4 million.

“Justice was never served in Adiala jail. We tried Al-Qadir case to be fixed several times; the sentence was announced in January. A year has passed but the doors of Islamabad High Court are closed for us.”

Salman Akram Raja, PTI secretary general, told reporters outside the Adiala jail that Aleema Khan, Bushra Bibi, the founder’s family and the legal team have a constitutional right to be in court, a right upheld by the Islamabad High Court. He warned that blocking them is a violation and that the nation is being subjected to lawlessness, with the authorities “turning in whoever they want.” Raja dismissed the case as baseless, built on affidavits and the weakest testimony, noting that the FBR’s valuation matches the documents. He also said Imran Khan is in solitary confinement, family visits are barred, and judges are hearing the case via video link. Despite a scheduled rebuttal, the judge delivered a written verdict in the absence of lead counsel Salman Safdar and without Imran or Bushra present. He quoted Imran: “The people will have to stand up for their rights, as all doors of justice have been closed.”

Raja announced a two day Tehreek Tahaffuz Aiyeen e Pakistan conference, reiterated Imran’s vow not to back down, and urged mass protests, saying the party will pursue freedom or martyrdom and will not abandon its demands. He also expressed Imran’s distress over Bushra’s imprisonment as punishment for being his spouse.

Imran Khan, in a message to KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, urged preparation for a street movement, stating that the nation must rise for its rights. He added that oppressing women and children contradicts Islamic values and that there is no rule of law in Pakistan, calling for the Insaf Lawyers Forum to lead the struggle for constitutional supremacy and announcing that his legal team will appeal the verdict in the Islamabad High Court. He concluded, “Struggle is worship, and I am ready to be martyred for the true freedom of Pakistan.” PTI leader Omar Ayub said on X the sentences were from a “kangaroo court” and that “there is no rule of law in Pakistan.” The PTI’s Central Media Department rejected the sentence as “unconstitutional, illegal, ill-intended” and the “worst form of political revenge”. It alleged the lawyers and families were not properly present and called it a violation of the principle of double jeopardy, claiming courts had become an “instrument of political engineering”. The PTI on its official account wrote that Imran’s family was not allowed inside the jail, where a “kangaroo court announced the verdict of Toshakhana-II case”. “A closed-door jail trial is neither free nor fair,” the party said. It also shared a video of Aleema Khan asking why she was not being allowed to attend the proceedings. She was heard saying, “They can’t stop us. The jail trial is today. It is illegal that the family is being stopped.”

Sulaiman Khan and Kasim Khan, Imran Khan’s sons, told Mehdi Hasan that jail officials are deliberately isolating their father—even preventing guards from speaking to him—to break his spirit. They say court ordered weekly calls aren’t being honoured: Sulaiman last spoke to Imran at the end of July, while Kasim’s most recent chat lasted about six minutes roughly three months ago. The brothers’ last in person meeting was in November 2022 after the assassination attempt, when they spent about a week with him. Their sister Uzma was allowed a visit on Dec 2 after health concerns prompted a protest threat.

Geo News’ Shabbir Dar reported that Imran himself told journalists his conversation with his sons lasted about half an hour. The brothers reject the government’s “prince like” claim, describing Imran’s cell as a cramped 6 ft × 8 in space with brown, murky water and poor food, and say he remains “unhappy with the complete isolation.”

On the other hand, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) hailed the verdict, with ministers saying the sentence awarded to the couple was in line with the law. Reacting to the verdict, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the verdict was based on justice, saying state gifts were fraudulently undervalued, so a smaller amount was paid to the government and claiming the exchequer suffered losses of millions of rupees. Tarar said the gifts were assessed at a much lower value through fraud, kept for personal use, and claimed Bushra Bibi withheld the gifts and took financial benefit. He also said the sentences awarded in the case would run after the completion of the sentence in the 190 million pounds case, adding that once a 14-year sentence ends, a 17-year sentence would begin thereafter.

Minister of State for Law and Justice Aqeel Malik said the decision was in accordance with the Constitution and law and said the PTI founder and his wife got the Bulgari set assessed at a lower value. Minister of State for Railways and Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani said depositing the gift in the Toshakhana was mandatory and added fraud was committed by buying the gift for a pittance.

Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry welcomed the verdict but said it should have come earlier to avoid scrutiny. He called it a clear, inevitable conviction with no viable defence. He noted that Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi left behind virtually nothing—only a minimally valued necklace—suggesting the Toshakhana gifts, held in trust, were misappropriated. Chaudhry added the case, which took 14-15 months, could have been resolved in weeks. Talal hinted at transferring Imran to any other prison — a possibility denied by the Adiala jail administration, which has maintained that no such proposal was on the table.

Issuing a statement in response to Imran’s sons interview, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s spokesperson, Mosharraf Zaidi explained Imran is not held in a cell but in designated living quarters with access to outdoor space, exercise facilities, books and a private cook. Zaidi said a medical officer monitors Imran’s meals and described claims of mistreatment as disinformation. Zaidi said Imran’s children would be treated according to the law if they visited Pakistan, but warned authorities would act to prevent disorder if any visit became politicised.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister’s Adviser Senator Rana Sanaullah clarified that the federal government has made no decision to transfer Imran Khan from Adiala jail to any other prison. Speaking to media representatives in Chiniot, Sanaullah stated that reports circulating about Imran Khan’s possible transfer to another jail were baseless and misleading.

Rana Sanaullah said there are no meeting restrictions at Adiala Jail; all rule permitted facilities are being offered. He added that any lack of meetings is Imran Khan’s personal choice, not a government ban.

Separately, at a news conference with other opposition leaders after Imran Khan and his wife were convicted, PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan condemned the sentencing, warning that such verdicts will spread chaos. TTAP head Achakzai said it is unfair to punish those who speak the truth and that people will question the decision, adding, “Everyone knows billions of rupees have been stolen and there is massive corruption in the country.” Vice chairman of the opposition alliance Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar said the persecution is not limited to politicians — Imaan Mazari faces a case for speaking out, Matiullah Jan has a false drug charge, and Justice Jahangiri was penalised for quickly disposing of PTI related bail and election cases. Akhtar Mengal called the conviction highly condemnable and asked why other former prime ministers who also took from Toshakhana were not punished, charging that the Constitution seems to protect only the powerful. Senior PTI leader Firdous Shamim Naqvi said the judgment exposed a judicial system that does not provide justice.