Toshakhana case II: Imran Khan, wife Bushra Bibi sentenced to 17 years

Former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were sentenced on Saturday to 17 years in jail in the Toshakhana II case, Aaj News reported. Judge Shahrukh Arjumand announced the verdict today. FIA has accused Imran and his wife Bushra of receiving the Bulgari jewellery set from Saudi Arabia and failing to submit the set in Toshakhana. The FIA has said that according to the records, the items are valued at Rs71.5 million but the accused got it valued at Rs5.8 million from a private firm. Both Imran and Bushra have denied the charges. In November, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) issued notices in Imran’s plea to direct the trial court not to pass the final verdict in Toshakhana-II case. A single bench of Justice Inaam Ameen Minhas heard the acquittal petitions of PTI founder and Bushra in the Toshakhana-II case. During the hearing, PTI founder’s counsel Salman Safdar requested the court to stop the trial court from giving the final verdict in the case. To this, the court remarked that they would look into it. Salman Safdar argued that Toshakhana cases were filed against his client and now the trial of Toshakhana-II is in its final stages. He added that first, one case was filed and then another. After the conviction in Toshakhana-I, the division bench of the high court suspended the conviction, he argued. Imran, 73, who served as prime minister from 2018-2022, has been in jail since his August 2023 arrest on corruption charges and is serving sentences in several cases he says are politically motivated.