Just a day after receiving a 10-year sentence for leaking state secrets, former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, along with his wife Bushra Bibi, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison in a corruption case known as Toshakhana. The ruling was delivered at a hearing held in Rawalpindi prison where Khan is currently detained, adding to the challenges faced by the beleaguered ex-PM.
The Toshakhana case accused Khan and Bibi of illegally selling state gifts. The judge, in addition to the prison term, imposed a 10-year ban on both individuals from holding any political office. Khan, who has been in custody since August, is already facing over a hundred charges.
The trial took a controversial turn as the judge denied Khan’s lawyers the opportunity to cross-examine witnesses. Furthermore, Khan’s legal representation was absent during the pronouncement of the sentence. Bushra Bibi surrendered to authorities at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on Wednesday morning.
This sentencing comes on the heels of another verdict, where a special court found Khan guilty of leaking state secrets related to a diplomatic cable. Khan denounced the trial as a sham, and his lawyers announced plans to appeal against the decision.
The timing of these consecutive convictions is notable, occurring just a week before Pakistan’s long-delayed general election. Despite being barred from running, Imran Khan remains a popular figure among voters.
This marks the second sentencing in the Toshakhana case, which revolves around allegations that Khan purchased gifts from heads of state and officials at reduced prices and subsequently sold them at an undisclosed profit. The anti-graft watchdog accused Khan and his wife of improperly keeping or selling 108 gifts received during his term as prime minister.
Initially sentenced in August, Khan’s case saw a revival after fresh evidence was presented regarding jewelry given by the Saudi crown prince. The judge issued an even harsher sentence this time, accompanied by a collective fine of 787 million rupees ($2.8 million).
Imran Khan, who was ousted from power in 2022, claims that the charges against him are politically motivated. He has publicly criticized the country’s powerful military, accusing them of orchestrating his imprisonment to prevent his participation in elections.
Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), issued a statement following the verdict, decrying the trial as a “kangaroo trial” where no right to defense was granted. The party lamented the “complete destruction of every existing law in Pakistan in two days.”
The situation surrounding Imran Khan and PTI adds an additional layer of complexity to the political landscape as the country approaches its upcoming general election.
Gary P Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
