A court in Pakistan on Saturday sentenced Imran Khan, the country’s former prime minister, to three years in prison in the Toshakhana corruption case. The case accuses Khan of profiting from the sale of expensive state gifts during his tenure as the prime minister.
Additional Judge Humayun Dilawar, from the Islamabad-based district and sessions judge, also imposed a fine of Rs100,000 on Khan, with the warning that he would face an additional six months in jail if he failed to pay the fine.
Khan, aged 70, was found guilty in the Toshakhana case, which was filed last year based on a complaint by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). Notably, Khan had been previously disqualified in the same case by the ECP.
Interestingly, the court’s verdict comes shortly after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) overturned a session court’s ruling, which upheld the Toshakhana case’s maintainability for criminal proceedings against Khan.
The Toshakhana issue revolves around the sale of state gifts received by Khan during his time as a cricketer-turned-politician. It became a significant matter in national politics when the ECP disqualified Khan on October 21, 2022, citing “false statements and incorrect declaration.”
Toshakhana is a department under the Cabinet Division responsible for storing gifts given to rulers and government officials by foreign heads of state and dignitaries. In this case, Khan allegedly purchased some of these gifts, including a precious watch, and later sold them for personal profit.
(With Inputs from PTI)