Former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi misused their position and power vested in the Office of the Prime Minister, the court judgement on the state gifts said.
“It is proved beyond doubt that both the accused persons in connivance with each other by way of illegal means, including the position and power vested in the Office of the Prime Minister obtained monetary gain amounting to Rs1,573.72 million,” the 23-page judgement said.
Khan and Bibi were handed a 14-year sentence in the case, known as Toshakhana, which accused them both of illegally selling state gifts. The judge also banned them both from holding political office for 10 years.
The judge had denied Khan’s lawyers’ request to cross-examine witnesses in the trial and his lawyers were not present on Wednesday when the sentence was given.
The decision authored by accountability judge Muhammad Bashir said their misuse of power caused a loss to the national exchequer and “fraudulently misappropriated” property for “personal gain and violated” the Procedure For the Acceptance and Disposal of Gifts 2018, read with the Rules of Business 1973.
