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 with their earlier terms.
Khan has described the charges as politically motivated, and his lawyer told BBC News his team plans to challenge the verdict.
Speaking to the BBC after the hearing, Khan's lawyer Salman Safdar said that the legal team was only informed of the sentencing late on Friday night, after normal court hours. They plan to appeal the verdict in the high court.
This case is the latest in a series of charges against the cricket star-turned-politician, who has been detained since August 2023. In January, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison over a separate corruption case.
Khan has faced more than 100 charges, which include leaking state secrets and selling state gifts. The BBC has been unable to verify the exact number of charges against him.
The jewellery case, referred to as Toshakhana 2 in Pakistan, relates to a Bulgari jewellery set given to Bushra Bibi during a 2021 state visit by Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince. According to court documents, under Pakistan's regulations on state gifts, such items should go to the Toshakana department (state treasury), but politicians may have the option to purchase them back.
Khan allegedly instructed a private firm to undervalue the jewellery set before buying it back at a significantly lower price.
In addition to their jail terms, the couple was imposed a fine over 16 million Pakistani rupees (£42,600).
Khan was previously convicted in a different Toshakhana case but has challenged that conviction, leading to a suspension of his sentence pending the appeal's outcome. He has other outstanding cases against him, including terrorism charges related to violent protests in May 2023, during which he was arrested.
Khan was Pakistan's prime minister until April 2022 when he was ousted in a vote of no confidence. Although he has not appeared in public, messages attributed to him continue to circulate on social media, often critical of Pakistan's current government and military leadership.
In November, Khan was denied visitors for nearly a month. Following pressure from his family and party, his sister was allowed to visit him in early December; shortly after, his account shared a message calling a military chief a 'mentally unstable person.' Khan has since not had any family visits allowed.
The judgement noted the judge was lenient in sentencing due to Khan's 'old age.'
