Former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, have been sentenced to a combined 17 years in prison after being convicted of unlawfully acquiring state gifts at reduced prices, authorities said.
The case centers on luxury watches and jewelry presented to Khan during his tenure as prime minister by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as part of official state engagements. Under Pakistani law, public office holders who wish to retain gifts from foreign dignitaries are required to purchase them from the state at full market value and disclose any profit made from their sale.
Prosecutors argued that Khan, 73, and his wife violated these regulations by declaring the gifts’ value at just over $10,000, significantly lower than the estimated market value of approximately $285,500. This, they said, enabled the couple to buy the items at a substantially discounted rate. Both Khan and Bushra Bibi denied the charges after being formally indicted last year.
According to Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency, the court sentenced the couple to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for criminal breach of trust under the penal code, along with an additional seven years under anti-corruption legislation.
The ruling marks another legal blow for Khan, who has been in custody since August 2023 and is already serving a 14-year sentence in a separate corruption case involving land dealings. Since his removal from office in 2022, he has faced numerous legal cases, including allegations related to corruption, terrorism, and state secrecy. Khan has consistently rejected all accusations, while his political party maintains the cases are politically driven.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the new sentence would take effect only after Khan completes his current prison term. Khan’s spokesperson, Zulfi Bukhari, criticized the verdict, calling it a departure from fundamental legal principles and accusing authorities of selective prosecution.
Khan has reportedly instructed his legal team to challenge the ruling at the Islamabad High Court.
Once revered as a national hero for leading Pakistan to its 1992 Cricket World Cup victory, Khan remains one of the country’s most divisive political figures. His party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, founded in 1996, continues to be excluded from power amid ongoing political and legal turmoil.
