An accountability court sentenced former Prime Minister Imran Khan and formerFirst Lady Bushra Begum to 14 years in prison in the Toshakhana Case on Wednesday.
Both Imran and Bushra have also been disqualified from holding public office for 10 years. The couple have also been fined Rs787 million in the case.
Judge Muhammad Bashir announced the verdict early on Wednesday in Adiala Jail. However, Bushra Begum did not attend the proceedings.
However, Bushra Begum is likely to be arrested after Wednesday’s verdict.
The Toshakhana case accuses Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Begum of misappropriating gifts from the state’s Toshakhana, allegedly involving millions of rupees.
It is also the case that led to Khan’s arrest on August 5 last year. He has been in jail ever since and has not even brought out for cour hearings. All hearings in the Toshakhana case have since been held in jail.
The judgement comes a day after Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi were sentenced to 10 years in prison in the cipher case.
Judge Muhammad Bashir travelled to Adiala Jail early on Wednesday for the hearing and Imran Khan was brought to the courtroom soon after.
However, when the judge asked if Khan was ready to submit his statement under section 342 of the CCP, the former prime minister replied that he had only came to the court to mark his attendance.
When Khan said that his statement was in his room, the judge told him to get the statement quickly and not waste the court’s time.
The former prime minister reportedly told the court that he wanted to consult his lawyers before the statement was submitted. He also commented that the judge seemed to be in a hurry and the decision had been announced in the same way yesterday as well.
The judge also offered that Khan could bring his statement to the court and have it chnaged on the computer if he wished.
However, Khan left for his cell and was accompanied by the deputy jail superintendent on the orders of the judge.
However, Khan never returned to the courtroom and the sentence was announced in his absence.
