Toshakhana Case: Imran Khan and His Wife Bushra Bibi Jailed 14 Years for Corruption

(CTN News) – Toshakhana Case: The 14-year prison term for Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi is the second that the ex-prime minister of Pakistan has received in as many days. He will be unable to run for office in the next election in the South Asian nation, and these two sentences have come down on him only one week before the vote.

Currently serving a three-year sentence for corruption, his opponents deposed Khan as prime minister in 2022. He claims that political motives drive the many accusations levelled against him.

While he was sentenced to ten years in prison on Tuesday for disclosing secret state papers, Wednesday’s hearing centred on allegations of gifts obtained by him and his wife from the state while in government.

Although it has not been officially verified, the two sentences are believed to run simultaneously. The couple was fined 1.5 billion rupees (£4.2 million; $5.3 million) by court judgement.

A statement from Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said that their leader will be barred from future political activity and from holding public office for ten years as a result of the sentence. According to Khan’s legal team, both instances will be appealed to Pakistan’s High Court.

It was last August that the former premier cricketer and international was arrested, and he has been detained in Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail for most of his incarceration. His wife, Bushra Bibi, who had been out on remand, surrendered to the jail on Wednesday. She has typically maintained a low profile during their tenure in office.

Their marriage occurred in 2018, months before Khan was elected prime minister. Both men denied allegations brought against them by Pakistan’s anti-corruption watchdog that they had sold or kept state gifts received in office for personal gain. The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia presented a jewellery set among such gifts.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Inshaat (PTI) has branded the charges against Khan as baseless, claiming that the trials were hastily conducted in “kangaroo courts” due to excessive pressure. Claiming the court was being “dismantled,” it claimed Wednesday’s case marked “another sad day in our judicial system’s history.”

“No cross-questioning is allowed, no final argument is concluded, and decisions pop up like a pre-determined process in play,” the complaint said. According to his attorneys, Khan’s trial proceeded more rapidly than anticipated, and he could not defend himself.

Reportedly, neither Khan nor Bibi nor their legal team were present in the courtroom when the judge gave the judgements. Outside of Adiala prison, Khan’s sister, Aleema Khan, informed the BBC that the start time of the case was unclear.

On Wednesday, a court convicted Khan guilty of disclosing a secret document and endangering diplomatic relations; he has not yet commented on the decision. An online post from Khan’s X (formerly Twitter) account urged his fans to “take revenge for every injustice with your vote on February 8 while remaining peaceful” on Tuesday.

Many were already doubting the legitimacy of next Thursday’s election before these penalties were even handed down, considering how much Khan and his party had been marginalised. Many PTI leaders are detained or have defected, although the government insists it did not hard down on the group.

Some of its candidates are even considering a bid for office. Following the sometimes violent demonstrations that followed Khan’s arrest in May of last year, thousands of party members were apprehended.

Furthermore, the party’s cricket bat emblem has been removed, which is crucial in a nation with low literacy rates so voters can pick where to write their votes. Nawaz Sharif, who went into exile for himself in the fall, is the favourite to win. Sharif has served as prime minister three times.

He served as a political and military irritant for the better part of his lengthy career until serving time for corruption just before Imran Khan’s 2018 election victory. Khan, formerly seen as close to the military, has fallen out of favour, and many now feel that the Pakistani military establishment prefers him.

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