Pakistan's ex-PM Khan, wife sentenced to 17 years in prison

Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were sentenced to 17 years each in prison on Saturday in the state gifts case, also known as the Toshakhana-II case.

The verdict was pronounced inside the Adiala Jail in the northeastern garrison city of Rawalpindi, where both Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi are currently imprisoned.

Special Judge Central Shahrukh Arjumand delivered the ruling in a case pertaining to the illegal sale and purchase of foreign gifts at throwaway prices.

The court sentenced Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi to 17 years in jail and fined them each Rs 10 million (approximately $35,600).

Khan and Bushra Bibi were indicted in the case last year. They denied the allegations, describing the case as fabricated and politically motivated.

This marks the third conviction of Imran Khan in Toshakhana-related cases. In August 2023, a local court sentenced him to three years in prison, while in January 2024, both Khan and Bushra Bibi were sentenced to 14 years in jail in the Toshakhana-I case.

While being in jail since August 2023, Khan has been facing dozens of cases ranging from corruption to terrorism, which he calls "sham."

Since then, the government has filed more than 200 cases against Khan, but he secured bail in many.