Pakistani court sentences Imran Khan and wife Bushra Bibi to 17 years in state gifts graft case

A Pakistani court on Saturday convicted former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, and sentenced them to 17 years in prison in a graft case over the handling of state gifts.

The ruling centers on a Bulgari jewelry set reportedly given to Bushra Bibi by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a 2021 state visit. Prosecutors say Khan and Bushra Bibi undervalued the jewelry and arranged for it to be bought back at a punitively low price, allowing them to profit from the item’s sale.

Under Pakistan’s rules on state gifts, items received from foreign dignitaries should be declared at their market value, and any proceeds from selling them must be disclosed. Officials say Khan and Bushra Bibi declared a far lower value—about $10,000—than the item’s estimated market value of $285,521, which would have required them to purchase the gifts at the declared price and report any gains.

Khan’s spokesperson, Zulfiquar Bukhari, said the verdict ignored basic principles of justice and would be appealed. Salman Safdar, Khan’s lawyer, told BBC News that the team learned of the sentencing late on Friday night and would challenge the ruling in the High Court. The judge announced the verdict in Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail, where Khan has been detained in recent years. Khan, 73, has been in prison since 2023 on numerous cases, including a separate Toshakhana matter that led to a 14-year sentence earlier this year.

Khan has long argued that many charges against him are politically motivated, a claim echoed by his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). The party denounced Saturday’s verdict as a political maneuver aimed at hindering his political comeback. It said Khan was present in court when the judge delivered the decision in Adiala prison.

The graft case is one of several legal battles Khan faces as he operates in opposition to the government that toppled him in a 2022 no-confidence vote. He has repeatedly argued that the charges are designed to block his return to power and to curb his influence in Pakistani politics. His supporters have organized protests outside courts and jails, demanding his release and criticizing what they describe as a crackdown on dissent.

Khan’s family has also raised concerns about his prison conditions. His sons, Kasim and Sulaiman, have spoken publicly about what they describe as harsh isolation. They told The Times that he is held in a cell described as a “death cell,” with limited reading materials and restricted contact with family and lawyers. His ex-wife Jemima Goldsmith has urged international attention to his treatment and has claimed his communications on social media have been constrained by authorities.

These developments come as Khan’s legal odyssey stretches across more than a decade. Since his ouster as prime minister in 2022, he has faced a torrent of charges related to corruption, state secrets and gifts, and he has remained a potent voice for opposition in Pakistan’s political landscape. While the government contends that the judiciary is upholding the law, Khan’s supporters contend that the cases are politically targeted.

In the broader context, the graft case involving state gifts remains a flashpoint in Pakistan’s ongoing political drama. Khan’s fate could influence the future trajectory of PTI as it seeks to rebuild support in the National Assembly and beyond, even as he contends with multiple legal challenges and a government that has characterized his activism as destabilizing.