In the Toshakhana-2 corruption case Imran Khan, the founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) political party and former prime minister, and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were sentenced to serve 17-year jail terms respectively by a special anti-corruption court in Rawalpindi.
According to the court decision, Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were sentenced by the court to 10 years of imprisonment in Section 409 of the Pakistani Penal Code and seven years in Section 5 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947.
The two were also given a total fine of Rs16.4 million by the court.
The case is based on the illegal acquisition of luxury state gifts at a low price which incurs the country a huge loss in the national exchequer.
What Is Toshakhana?
Toshakhana is a government department, which was established in 1974 and it falls within the Cabinet Division. It is also mandated to retain expensive gifts that are accepted by the office-holders of the public which include prime ministers, ministers, bureaucrats and other government officials as gifts of the foreign leaders and dignitaries.
The gifts are in the form of valuable items like luxury watches, jewellery, gold-plated souvenirs, paintings, rugs, swords and even bulletproof cars. Under the guidelines, the officials are only allowed to retain these gifts at a certain percentage of their perceived value.
What Is the Toshakhana-2 Case?
The reference of the Toshakhana-2 on a Bulgari jewellery set that the Saudi royal family bestowed on Bushra Bibi during the tenure of Imran Khan as the prime minister between 2018 and 2022 was submitted by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
The jewellery set comprised a necklace, ring on the bracelet and a pair of earrings which were given to her when she had an official visit to Saudi Arabia in May 2021.
NAB stated that Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi received 108 gifts from various foreign dignitaries during his term. The bureau alleged that the Bulgari jewellery was illegally retained and deliberately undervalued to pay a much lower price than required.
According to FIA and Ministry of Foreign Affairs records, the jewellery set was worth more than Rs71 million. However, the accused allegedly had it appraised at just Rs5.9 million through a private appraiser.
The valuation was first done by private appraiser Sohaib Abbasi and later endorsed by customs officials. NAB claimed that undue influence was used by former principal secretary Inam Shah to ensure the jewellery was undervalued.
Prosecution records show that the jewellery company sold:
- The necklace for €300,000
- The earrings for €80,000
Based on official estimates from May 28, 2021, the total value of the jewellery was around Rs70.56 million, with the necklace alone valued at Rs50.64 million.
Under Toshakhana rules, the accused were required to pay 50% of the assessed value, which comes to approximately Rs35.28 million. Due to undervaluation, the state reportedly suffered a loss of over Rs35 million.
Timeline of the Toshakhana-2 Case
| Date | Event |
| July 13, 2024 | NAB arrested Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi from Adiala Jail. They remained in NAB custody for 37 days. |
| August 20, 2024 | NAB filed the Toshakhana-2 reference after completing its investigation. |
| September 9, 2024 | After a Supreme Court decision restoring NAB laws, the case was transferred to the FIA Anti-Corruption Court, and new legal sections were added. |
| September 16, 2024 | The trial officially began at Adiala Jail under Special Judge Shah Rukh Arjumand. |
| October 23, 2024 | Islamabad High Court granted bail to Bushra Bibi. |
| October 24, 2024 | Bushra Bibi was released from jail. |
| November 20, 2024 | Islamabad High Court granted bail to Imran Khan. |
| December 12, 2024 | The court formally framed charges against both accused. |
