What Is the Toshakhana-II Case? Charges Against Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi Explained

Islamabad: Details have emerged regarding the Toshakhana-II case, under which former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi have been convicted and sentenced to prison terms.
According to the prosecution, Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi visited Saudi Arabia on an official trip between July 7 and July 10, 2021. During the visit, they allegedly received a luxury Bulgari jewellery set as a state gift. The gift, under Pakistan’s Toshakhana rules, was required to be deposited with the state treasury or retained only after paying its full assessed value.
The prosecution alleged that the couple unlawfully retained the jewellery by declaring its value far below market price. While Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi maintained that they paid half of the assessed value to legally keep the gift, investigators claimed the valuation was deliberately manipulated.
According to court records, the jewellery—worth more than 70 million Pakistani rupees—was allegedly undervalued at just 5.8 million rupees. The prosecution stated that pressure was exerted through intermediaries to influence the valuation process. Two individuals involved in the valuation process later testified as prosecution witnesses.
The case was initially pursued under the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) laws before amendments to the accountability framework. On January 7, 2024, NAB approved a formal investigation, and a reference was filed in an accountability court on August 19, 2024. Following the restoration of NAB amendments by the Supreme Court, the case was transferred to an FIA court on September 9, 2024.
After approximately 15 months of trial proceedings, during which the prosecution presented testimony from more than 20 witnesses, the Special Central Court-I in Islamabad delivered its verdict.
The court convicted Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi under Pakistan Penal Code Section 409 (criminal breach of trust), sentencing them to 10 years’ imprisonment. They were also sentenced to seven additional years under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947. Both were fined 16.4 million rupees each, with additional jail time prescribed in case of non-payment.
The court ruled that the couple failed to deposit the state gift into the Toshakhana and, through deliberate undervaluation, caused a financial loss of approximately 32.85 million rupees to the national exchequer.
Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) described the case as unprecedented, stating it was the first instance in which a former prime minister and spouse were convicted purely on the basis of documentary evidence in an anti-corruption case.
Following the verdict, both Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were taken into custody by the FIA Anti-Corruption Circle and transferred to Adiala Jail to serve their sentences, while legal experts note that the convicts retain the right to appeal against the judgment