Pakistan’s jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan has called for nationwide protests and announced plans to challenge his latest conviction after a court sentenced him and his wife to 17 years in prison in a high-profile corruption case known as “Toshakhana-II”.
In a message conveyed through his lawyer on Saturday, Khan urged supporters to prepare for what he described as a “street movement”, saying the country must rise to reclaim its rights. The remarks were made public as Khan does not have direct access to his social media accounts while imprisoned.
According to Dawn newspaper, Khan said he had instructed the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a province where his party retains significant influence, to mobilise for protests.
“The entire nation will have to rise for its rights,” Khan was quoted as saying.
The statement came a day after a special court sentenced Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, in the Toshakhana-II case. Toshakhana is a government department that manages gifts received by state officials from foreign dignitaries. Under Pakistani law, officials must declare such gifts and, if they wish to retain them, purchase them at a price set by the government.
The Toshakhana-II case centres on an expensive jewellery set that Khan received as a gift from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during an official visit in May 2021, when Khan was still prime minister. Prosecutors allege the item was purchased at a nominal price in violation of legal procedures, causing financial loss to the state.
On Saturday, Judge Shahrukh Arjumand of the Federal Investigation Agency’s special court announced the verdict during proceedings held inside Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail, where Khan is currently incarcerated.
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Under the ruling, Khan was sentenced to a total of 17 years in prison under corruption and criminal statutes. Bushra Bibi received the same sentence under identical legal provisions. Both were also fined 16.4 million Pakistani rupees, with the court stating that failure to pay the fine would result in additional imprisonment.
In its written order, the court said it had considered Khan’s age and Bushra Bibi’s gender while determining the punishment, describing the sentence as lenient under the circumstances.
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Khan, who was removed from office through a parliamentary vote of no confidence in April 2022, dismissed the ruling as politically motivated. He said the decision did not surprise him and accused the court of delivering the verdict without properly hearing his defence.
“Like the baseless decisions and sentences of the last three years, the Toshakhana-II decision is also nothing new to me,” he said through his lawyer. He claimed the ruling was issued without evidence and without fulfilling legal requirements.
Khan has instructed his legal team to challenge the conviction in the Islamabad High Court, which hears constitutional petitions and appeals against lower court verdicts.
He also called on the legal community, including lawyers associated with his party, to take a stand for what he described as the supremacy of law and the restoration of Pakistan’s Constitution.
Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), strongly condemned the verdict, describing it as unconstitutional, illegal and malicious, and alleging political victimisation.
Since his removal from power, Khan has faced multiple criminal cases. His supporters argue the prosecutions are aimed at sidelining him from politics ahead of future elections. The government denies the claims, insisting the cases are being handled independently by the courts.
Khan remains one of Pakistan’s most popular political figures, particularly among younger voters and urban middle-class supporters. His imprisonment has previously triggered protests, some of which were met with mass arrests and restrictions on political activity and media coverage.
As Khan prepares to challenge the verdict and renews his call for protests, the case is expected to further deepen Pakistan’s political polarisation, raising fresh questions over political stability and the rule of law.
