Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, currently imprisoned, has announced his decision to challenge the Toshakhana-II case verdict in the Islamabad High Court. The sentencing, which handed him and his wife, Bushra Bibi, 17-year jail terms for alleged corruption, has also prompted Khan to call for nationwide street protests.
Through his lawyer, Khan shared his directive to his party, stating, “I have sent a message to (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister) Sohail Afridi to prepare for the street movement. The entire nation will have to rise for its rights.” He believes the verdict was issued without due legal process or sufficient evidence, calling it a continuation of “baseless decisions” against him.
Khan urged legal bodies, including the Insaf Lawyers Forum, to actively defend the supremacy of law. The PTI has officially branded the sentence as “political revenge” and a “textbook case of victimisation.” The corruption charges relate to the acquisition of a high-value jewelry gift from Saudi Arabia at a significantly reduced price. The court, while imposing identical sentences and fines on Khan and Bibi, acknowledged their advanced age and female status as mitigating factors for leniency in punishment, despite the long prison terms.