By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Monday suspended the 14-year jail sentences of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in a high-profile Toshakhana case, involving the illegal sale of state gifts.
The decision was confirmed by Khan’s lawyer, Naeem Haider Panjutha, who hailed it as a victory for the nation.
“Congratulations to the nation. The punishment was suspended for Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi in the Toshakhana NAB appeal,” Panjutha said on a social media platform.
Khan, who led the country from 2018 to 2022, was initially sentenced to three years in prison by election authorities in August for selling gifts valued at over Rs140 million. The sentence was extended to 14 years in January following a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) investigation.
Islamabad High Court said that the couple’s graft sentence will remain suspended until a final decision on the conviction which will be taken up for arguments and evidence as a main petition after Eid holidays.
The court had also ordered that Khan and his wife be released on bail.
But Khan and his wife face other legal challenges, including charges related to revealing state secrets and rulings against his marriage under Islamic law. He has also been indicted under anti-terrorism laws after violence erupted following his arrest in the land corruption case on May 9.
Khan and his party assert that the legal cases against him are politically motivated, designed to keep him out of politics—a claim the army denies.
Khan counsel Barrister Ali Zafar said the court delivered justice and the “scales of justice have started heading in the right direction”.
“The courts are standing upright for justice. The entire nation is standing with the courts,” Zafar told media outside the IHC. “Such cases are considered mistrial and unconstitutional in the history.”
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