An Islamabad court has sentenced former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to 17 years’ imprisonment each in the Toshakhana-II case, convicting them of corruption and misuse of authority linked to the under-invoicing of a Bvlgari jewellery set.

According to the verdict, both were awarded 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment under Section 409 of the Pakistan Penal Code, while seven years’ imprisonment each was imposed under relevant provisions of the anti-corruption law.

The court also fined them Rs16.45 million per person, taking the combined fines to more than Rs35 million. In case of non-payment, each will face an additional six months in prison.

The 59-page detailed judgment was authored by Special Judge Central Shah Rukh Arjumand, who announced the reserved verdict at Adiala Jail on Saturday. Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were present in the courtroom at the time.

The court said leniency was shown in sentencing due to Imran Khan’s advanced age and Bushra Bibi being a woman, and ruled that the period already spent in custody would be counted towards the sentence.

Under-invoicing of Bvlgari jewellery

According to the written verdict, the case revolves around a Bvlgari jewellery set allegedly received as a gift during Imran Khan’s 2021 visit to Saudi Arabia, where it was presented by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The court held that the jewellery was not deposited in the Toshakhana in accordance with the law.

The judgment states that official records and information obtained through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the FIA’s verification from a foreign company showed that the actual value of the jewellery exceeded Rs71.5 million.

However, the accused had it valued at Rs5.9 million through a private appraiser and paid only Rs2.9 million to retain it.

The court found that the accused used their influence to pressure private appraiser Sohaib Abbasi into undervaluing the jewellery.

It ruled that only 50 per cent of the declared value was deposited before the set was taken into possession, describing the act as one of bad faith, dishonesty and financial corruption.

The jewellery set included a bracelet, ring, earrings and a necklace. Court records show the ring contained a pink diamond, while the bracelet and necklace were embedded with diamonds, pearls and other precious stones.

Prosecution case upheld

The court held that the prosecution successfully proved all elements of the offence. It said the defence failed to present credible evidence or effectively challenge prosecution witnesses.

The judgment notes that the case was initiated by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on the basis of a source report. Following the Supreme Court’s decision restoring NAB amendments, the reference was transferred to the FIA, which added charges under Section 409 PPC and Section 5 of the Anti-Corruption Act.

The Toshakhana II trial formally began on September 16, 2024, and was conducted almost entirely at Adiala Jail. More than 80 hearings were held. The prosecution presented 21 witnesses, of whom 18 recorded statements and faced cross-examination, while four were dropped.

Key witnesses included former military secretary Brig (retd) Muhammad Ahmed, private appraiser Sohaib Abbasi, and Imran Khan’s former principal secretary Inamullah. Documentary evidence, financial records and official correspondence from Pakistan’s embassy in Saudi Arabia were also produced before the court.

Case background

Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi remained in NAB custody for 37 days during the investigation. NAB filed the Toshakhana II reference on August 20, and formal charges were framed on December 12.

The case was transferred from NAB to the FIA on September 9, 2024, following the Supreme Court’s ruling, and a three-member FIA joint investigation team was constituted on September 12.

Bushra Bibi was earlier sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment in a separate Toshakhana case on January 31, 2024. Her sentence was later suspended by the Islamabad High Court, though both she and Imran Khan were re-arrested by NAB on July 13, 2024, in the Toshakhana II reference.

Imran Khan has been lodged in Adiala Jail since August 5, 2023, and faces multiple other cases in Islamabad and elsewhere, in which he has yet to secure bail.

The court concluded that the deliberate under-invoicing of the Bvlgari jewellery set amounted to corruption and misuse of authority, warranting conviction and punishment under the law.