Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi have been given further prison sentences after being convicted in a case involving the undervaluation of state gifts received during a 2021 visit to Saudi Arabia.
A court in Pakistan sentenced Khan to 10 years for criminal breach of trust and Bushra Bibi to seven years for criminal misconduct. Both were also fined more than 16 million Pakistani rupees. The sentences are expected to run concurrently with their existing jail terms from earlier convictions.
The case, known as Toshakhana 2, centres on a Bulgari jewellery set gifted to Bushra Bibi by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Under Pakistan’s rules, such gifts must be handed to the state Toshakhana, with officials permitted to repurchase them only at an officially assessed value. Prosecutors alleged Khan had a private evaluator undervalue the jewellery so it could be bought back at a significantly reduced price.
Their lawyer, Salman Safdar, said neither Khan nor Bushra Bibi attended the hearing and that the legal team only learned of the verdict after court hours. He confirmed that an appeal will be filed, maintaining the defence position that the charges are politically driven.
Khan has been detained since August 2023 and faces more than 100 legal cases, including allegations of corruption, leaking state secrets and charges related to violent protests in May 2023. In January, he was sentenced to 14 years in a separate corruption case.
Although he has not appeared publicly, messages posted to his X account following family visits have been critical of the government and Pakistan’s military chief Field Marshal Asim Munir. His account published a post describing Munir as “mentally unstable” shortly after a December visit by his sister; no visits have been allowed since.
The court noted Khan’s age when determining the sentence. Bushra Bibi, already serving a previous sentence, received her new term concurrently.