Pakistan's ex-prime minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were sentenced to 17 years after a court found them guilty of illegally retaining and selling state gifts, including jewellery allegedly from Saudi Arabia. Prosecutors say the items were bought for $10,000 despite a market valuation of $285,521; the couple deny wrongdoing. PTI called the trial a “sham,” and Khan's family says he is being held in near-isolation in a Rawalpindi prison.
Imran Khan and Wife Sentenced to 17 Years in State-Gifts Case; Supporters Decry Verdict
Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan, right, and Bushra Bibi, his wife, speak to the media before signing documents to submit a surety bond for bail in different cases, at the Lahore High Court in Lahore, Pakistan, on July 17, 2023 [File: K M Chaudary/AP]
Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were sentenced to 17 years in prison after a court found them guilty of unlawfully retaining and selling valuable state gifts, including jewellery reportedly from Saudi Arabia. Both deny the charges and say the case is politically motivated.
Details Of The Case
Prosecutors say the couple purchased the items at an artificially low price of $10,000 despite an assessed market value of $285,521, and later profited from their sale. Under Pakistani law, officials who receive gifts from foreign dignitaries must either purchase them at market value or hand them to the state, and any gains from subsequent sales must be declared.
Reactions And Context
Khan's supporters and his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), immediately condemned the verdict. PTI called the proceedings a “sham,” and spokesperson Zulfikar Bukhari said prosecutors imposed criminal liability “without proof of intent, gain, or loss,” accusing authorities of reinterpreting rules retrospectively.
“Criminal liability was imposed without proof of intent, gain, or loss, relying instead on a retrospective reinterpretation of rules,” — Zulfikar Bukhari, PTI spokesperson.
The 73-year-old served as Pakistan's prime minister from 2018 until his removal in April 2022. Since August 2023 Khan has faced a series of legal cases, including allegations of corruption and revealing state secrets; he denies all accusations and has been acquitted on some counts.
Khan remains a high-profile figure in Pakistan — an internationally known former cricket star whose detention has triggered protests and deep political divisions. According to his sister, Dr. Uzma Khanum, he is currently held at a prison in Rawalpindi and is being kept largely in isolation, which she described as mental torture.
This verdict adds another chapter to a long-running legal and political saga that is likely to further polarize Pakistan's already fraught political landscape.
