A Pakistani accountability court on December 20, 2025, sentenced former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to 17 years in prison each in a corruption case known as Toshakhana Case. The verdict, delivered inside Rawalpindi’s high-security Adiala Jail where Khan is detained, accuses the couple of illegally purchasing luxury state gifts—including watches from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman—at undervalued prices, causing financial loss to the state treasury.
The sentences comprise 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for criminal breach of trust under Pakistan’s Penal Code and seven years under anti-corruption laws, to run concurrently, along with heavy fines. Lawyers for Khan criticized the ruling, stating the court pronounced the sentence without hearing the defense arguments.
Imran Khan, the cricketer-turned-politician who served as prime minister from 2018 to 2022, was ousted via a no-confidence vote and has been imprisoned since August 2023. He is currently serving a 14-year term in a separate land graft case and faces over 150 legal cases, ranging from corruption to state secrets leaks. Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party denounce the charges as politically motivated to sideline him from politics.
This case is distinct from an earlier Toshakhana conviction, where sentences were suspended on appeal. Bushra Bibi, Khan’s third wife and a faith healer, was also implicated. PTI announced protests in Punjab and plans to appeal the decision at the Islamabad High Court.
The conviction further intensifies Pakistan’s polarized political landscape, with supporters viewing it as persecution amid Khan’s enduring popularity.