Imran Khan, Wife Receive 17 Years In Toshakhana 2 Corruption Case, Calls For Protests

Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were each sentenced to 17 years in prison on Saturday in the Toshakhana 2 corruption case, prompting Khan to urge his supporters to prepare for countrywide protests, according to PTI.

The 73-year-old Khan, who has been in jail since August 2023, faces multiple cases following his removal from office through a no-confidence vote in April 2022. The Toshakhana 2 case pertains to alleged fraud involving state gifts received by the former first couple from the Saudi government in 2021, PTI reported.

In a statement posted on Khan’s X account late on Saturday, the former PM, speaking to his lawyers at Adiala Jail, described the verdict as a “military-style trial decision” and called on supporters to rise for their rights. It remains unclear who managed to post the conversation on his social media, as Khan currently has no access to his accounts in jail.

“I have sent a message to (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister) Sohail Afridi to prepare for the street movement. The entire nation will have to rise for its rights,” Khan said, adding: “Struggle is worship, and I am even ready to embrace martyrdom for the true freedom of Pakistan!”

According to PTI, Khan described the latest sentence as unsurprising and instructed his legal team to challenge it in the high court. “Like the baseless decisions and sentences of the last three years, the Toshakhana-II decision is also nothing new to me. This decision was given in haste by the judge without any evidence and without fulfilling the legal requirements,” he said, adding that his legal team “was not even heard.”

He also emphasised the role of the Insaf Lawyers Forum and the broader legal community in seeking justice. “For the struggle to establish the supremacy of law and restore the Constitution, it is essential for the Justice Lawyers Forum and the lawyers’ front to come to the forefront. Only the system of justice can protect the people. Without it, neither economic progress nor moral development is possible,” he said.

Khan, while criticising the army leadership for his detention, simultaneously stated that “the army is mine,” signalling an effort to retain its support while challenging the top brass of the armed forces.

He also alleged that he and his wife were subjected to “continuous mental torture by keeping us in solitary confinement,” adding: “There is a ban on our books, TV, and meetings. Every prisoner in jail can watch TV, but even watching TV has been banned for me and Bibi Bushra.”

The Toshakhana is a department under the Cabinet Division responsible for storing gifts given to government officials and rulers by foreign dignitaries. Officials can buy back gifts following established rules and procedures.

Bushra Bibi was granted bail in the case by the Islamabad High Court in October 2024, with Khan receiving bail a month later. Both were formally indicted in December last year, PTI reported.

(With inputs from PTI)