Imran Khan, Wife Handed Additional Jail Terms in State Gifts Fraud Case

Former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, have been sentenced to additional prison terms after being convicted in a fraud case involving state gifts.

The court found them guilty of violating Pakistan’s rules governing official gifts after Bushra Bibi received a luxury Jewellery set from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a state visit in 2021.

Both are already serving prison sentences in earlier cases. The latest ruling handed Khan and Bibi 10 years for criminal breach of trust and seven years for criminal misconduct, along with a fine. The sentences are expected to run concurrently with their existing jail terms.

Khan has rejected the charges as politically motivated. His lawyer, Salman Safdar, told BBC News that the defence team was informed of the sentencing late on Friday night, after regular court hours, and said they plan to challenge the verdict in the high court.

This case is the latest in a long series of legal proceedings against the former cricket star-turned-politician, who has been in detention since August 2023. In January, Khan was sentenced to 14 years in prison in a separate corruption case.

He has faced charges in more than 100 cases, ranging from leaking state secrets to the alleged illegal sale of state gifts, though the BBC has been unable to independently confirm the exact number.

The jewellery case, known in Pakistan as Toshakhana 2, relates to a Bulgari jewellery set gifted to Bushra Bibi during the 2021 visit. Under Pakistan’s rules, such gifts are deposited with the Toshakhana, or state treasury, though officials are allowed to buy them back.

Khan is accused of instructing a private firm to undervalue the jewellery before purchasing it at a significantly reduced price. In addition to the prison terms, the court imposed a fine exceeding 16 million Pakistani rupees (£42,600).

Khan was also convicted in an earlier Toshakhana case, but that sentence has been suspended pending appeal. Several other cases remain unresolved, including terrorism-related charges linked to violent protests on 9 May 2023 following his earlier arrest.

Khan served as Pakistan’s prime minister until April 2022, when he was removed through a vote of no confidence. Although he has not appeared in public since his detention, statements attributed to him have continued to appear on his social media accounts, often sharply criticising the current government and Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir.

In November, Khan was denied visitors for nearly a month. After pressure from his family and party, his sister was allowed to visit him in early December. Hours later, a post attributed to Khan appeared on X, describing Field Marshal Munir as a “mentally unstable person.”