RAWALPINDI – A special court on Saturday sentenced Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to 17 years’ rigorous imprisonment each in the Toshakhana-II case, besides imposing a fine of over Rs100 million.
The verdict was announced by Special Judge Central Arjumand Shah inside Adiala Jail, where both Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were present. However, none of their defence lawyers appeared before the court at the time of the judgment.
The court awarded seven years’ imprisonment each under Section 409 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), along with additional sentences under relevant charges, bringing the total sentence for each convict to 17 years. The court also imposed a fine of Rs100 million on the accused.
Background of the case
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) arrested Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi in the Toshakhana-II case on 13 July 2024 at Adiala Jail. The couple remained in NAB’s custody for 37 days. After completing investigations, NAB filed a reference in the accountability court on 20 August 2024.
Following the Supreme Court’s decision restoring amendments to the NAB law, the case was transferred on 9 September 2024 to the FIA Anti-Corruption Court. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) added charges under Section 5 of the Anti-Corruption Act and Section 409 PPC.
The trial formally began on 16 September 2024, with the first hearing conducted inside Adiala Jail by Special Judge Central Shah Rukh Arjumand.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) granted bail to Bushra Bibi on 23 October 2024, leading to her release from jail a day later. Subsequently, the IHC also approved Imran Khan’s bail on 20 November 2024. The court framed charges against the accused on 12 December 2024.
Trial proceedings
The Toshakhana-II trial continued for nearly one year inside Adiala Jail. The prosecution presented 21 witnesses, out of whom statements of 18 witnesses were recorded and cross-examined, while four witnesses were dropped by the FIA prosecution.
Key witnesses included former Military Secretary Brigadier (retd) Muhammad Ahmed, private appraiser Sohail Abbas, and Imran Khan’s former Principal Secretary Inamullah.
Allegations against the accused
According to the prosecution, Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi allegedly received a Bvlgari jewellery set from the Saudi Crown Prince in 2021, which was neither deposited in the Toshakhana nor valued correctly.
FIA records state that the actual value of the jewellery exceeded Rs715 million. However, the accused allegedly had the set undervalued at Rs5.9 million through a private firm. The jewellery included a necklace, bracelet, ring and earrings.
The prosecution maintained that the accused used influence to obtain an undervalued assessment and failed to deposit the gift in the Toshakhana. Private appraiser Sohail Abbas testified that Inam Shah, the applicant’s private secretary, pressured him for a lower valuation.
Legal representation
The prosecution team included Federal Prosecutor Zulfiqar Abbas Naqvi, Barrister Umair Majid Malik, Bilal Butt, and Shahwaiz Gillani.
The defence was represented by Arshad Tabrez, Qausain Faisal Mufti, and Barrister Salman Safdar.
