A Pakistani court on Saturday sentenced former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, to 17 years in prison each in a corruption case involving the purchase and sale of luxury state gifts.
The ruling adds to Khan’s mounting legal troubles as he remains incarcerated on multiple convictions and faces dozens of pending cases.
Khan and his wife have denied wrongdoing, while his party has described the cases as politically motivated.
The special court of Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency handed down the sentences after finding the couple guilty of criminal breach of trust and violations of anti-corruption laws.
They received 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment under the penal code and an additional seven years under anti-corruption statutes, along with heavy fines.
“The court announced the sentence without hearing the defence and sentenced 17 years imprisonment to Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi with heavy fines,” Khan’s family lawyer Rana Mudassar Umer told Reuters.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the new sentence would take effect after Khan completes a separate 14-year term in a land graft case.
The prosecution said the case concerned luxury watches and other items gifted by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, which were allegedly purchased from the state at a steep discount in violation of official rules.
Authorities said the transactions caused losses of several million rupees to the state.
Khan’s legal team said he would challenge the ruling at the Islamabad High Court, continuing a series of appeals in earlier cases.
Zulfi Bukhari, a spokesperson for Khan, said the verdict “ignores basic principles of justice” and amounts to selective prosecution.
The case is separate from an earlier state gifts conviction linked to Khan’s August 2023 arrest, in which earlier sentences were later suspended on appeal.
These cases are commonly known as Toshakhana cases, referring to the state repository for gifts received by public officials.
Following the verdict, Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party announced plans for protests across Punjab.
The party has also alleged restrictions on family and legal visits, which authorities deny.
Khan, a former cricket star turned politician, remains one of Pakistan’s most polarising figures as his legal battles continue and his party stays sidelined from power.