Continued Legal Troubles for Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi

Sun Dec 21 2025 07:03:55 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Imran Khan, former Prime Minister of Pakistan, along with his wife, receive additional jail sentences in a state gift fraud case involving luxury items.

Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, have been handed new jail terms totaling 17 years related to fraud involving state gifts. This comes as Khan faces over 100 legal cases while asserting that the charges are politically driven. Their latest sentences are set to run concurrently with previous convictions, complicating their already contentious legal situation.

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi have been sentenced to further jail terms following a fraud case involving state gifts.

They were convicted of breaking Pakistan's rules on gifts after Bibi was given a luxury jewellery set by Saudi Arabia's Mohammed bin Salman during a 2021 state visit.

The pair are already serving time in prison for earlier convictions, and the new sentences - 10 years for criminal breach of trust and seven years for criminal misconduct, along with a fine - will reportedly run concurrently to their previous terms.

Khan has described the charges as politically motivated and his lawyer has announced plans to challenge the verdict.

After the sentencing, Khan's legal team stated they were only informed about the decision late on Friday night, raising questions about the fairness of the trial process.

This case is the latest in a series of over 100 legal charges against the cricket star-turned-politician, who has remained in custody since August 2023. In January, he was sentenced to 14 years in a different corruption matter.

The jewellery case, known as Toshakhana 2 in Pakistan, centers around a Bulgari jewellery set gifted to Bushra Bibi during the same state visit. Under Pakistan's laws, such gifts are to be recorded in state treasury but can be bought back by politicians, raising allegations of undervaluation in this instance.

In addition to their prison sentences, the couple has been ordered to pay a fine exceeding 16 million Pakistani rupees (approximately £42,600).

Khan has other charges pending, including those related to violence during protests and earlier convictions in different Toshakhana cases.

He was ousted as prime minister in April 2022 following a vote of no confidence and has faced increasingly strained relations with the present government and military leadership.

The judgement reflected the judge's leniency due to Khan's age, demonstrating a complex legal landscape as he continues to maintain his innocence amid accusations of politically motivated persecution.