Toshakhana case: Pak court suspends Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi jail terms

The Toshakhana corruption case pertains to the accusations against Khan for illegally selling state gifts, which he received during his tenure as the PM of Pakistan between 2018-2022

In a relief for former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi, the Islamabad High Court on Monday suspended the 14-year sentence awarded to the couple in the Toshakhana corruption case.

The couple was sentenced by an Islamabad accountability court on January 31, a week before the general elections in the country.

The appeal against the punishment will be fixed for hearing after the Eid holidays, the court observed.

What is the Toshakhana corruption case?

The Toshakhana corruption case pertains to the accusations against Khan for illegally selling state gifts, which he received during his tenure as the Prime Minister.

 

Toshakhana, which means 'treasure house' in Persian, is governed by rules that allow government officials to keep the gifts by paying a price for them. However, in any case, the officials are required to deposit the gift first.
 

Which state gifts were 'sold' by Imran Khan?

Khan is charged with illegally selling the gifts, worth more than Rs 140 million, received during his 2018-2022 premiership. According to the charges, the gifts were sold by Khan in Dubai and included perfumes, diamond jewellery, dinner sets, and seven watches. Six of the watches are Rolexes, among which the most expensive one is a "Master Graff limited edition" valued at Rs 85 million.

On Bushra Bibi’s conviction, Khan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had said that she had no link to the case and her conviction was only an effort to further pressurise the former Prime Minister.

Since his removal from power, Khan has been convicted in at least four cases, including the cipher case. It revolves around a diplomatic document sent by the Pakistan embassy in March 2022. Khan and his former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi are accused of mishandling the document for political reasons.

Khan was ousted through a vote of no-confidence in April 2022.