Imran Khan slams ‘military-style trial’, seeks mass uprising after 17-year jail verdict

Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan urged his supporters to gear up for countrywide protests following a 17-year imprisonment pronounced on him and his wife Bushra Bibi in a corruption case.

He also alleged that the court proceedings were biased, as his legal team was not even heard, and noted that he was not surprised by the decision of the court. In a surprise post from his personal X handle, he also claimed that he and his wife were subjected to "mental torture".

Khan and Bibi were sentenced to 17 years in jail each by a court on Saturday (December 20) in the Toshakhana 2 corruption case.

'Military-style trial decision'

Khan (73) has been facing multiple cases launched against him since his ouster from power in April 2022. The Toshakhana 2 case involved alleged fraud in state gifts that the former Pakistan first couple received from the Saudi government in 2021. Khan has been in jail since August 2023.

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In a conversation with his lawyers in Adiala Jail after the “military-style trial decision”, Khan urged his supporters to stand up in protest after the decision, according to a midnight statement posted on Khan’s X account. It was not known who posted his conversation on his personal account, as Khan had no access to his social media handles in jail.

Khan alleges partiality in court proceedings

“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 said, and added: “Struggle is worship, and I am even ready to embrace martyrdom for the true freedom of Pakistan!” He argued that the latest sentence did not come as a surprise and asked his legal team to move the High Court against the decision.

“Like the baseless decisions and sentences of the last three years, the Toshakhana-2 decision is also nothing new to me. This decision was given in haste by the judge without any evidence and without fulfilling the legal requirements,” he said, adding that his legal team was “not even heard".

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He also said it was inevitable for the Insaf Lawyers Forum, a group of lawyers affiliated with his Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, and the legal community to come forward for justice.

“For the struggle to establish the supremacy of law and restore the Constitution, it is essential for the Justice Lawyers Forum and the lawyers’ front to come to the forefront. Only the system of justice can protect the people. Without it, neither economic progress nor moral development is possible,” he said.

Toshakhana II case

He also targeted the army’s leadership for his detention, but in the same vein, said that the “army is mine", showing his effort to win its support while attacking the top leadership of the armed forces. Khan also alleged that he and his wife were being “continuously subjected to mental torture by keeping us in solitary confinement”.

“There is a ban on our books, TV, and meetings. Every prisoner in jail can watch TV, but even watching TV has been banned for Bibi Bushra and me,” he alleged.

Khan has been incarcerated since August 2023 in a case launched after he was removed from office through a no-trust vote in April 2022.

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The Toshakhana is a department under the Cabinet Division that stores gifts given to rulers and government officials by heads of other governments and foreign dignitaries. Once deposited, the gifts can be bought back following proper rules and procedures.

In October 2024, Bushra was granted bail by the Islamabad High Court in this case, and a month later, Khan was also granted bail in the same case. They were indicted in December last year.