Imran Khan Calls For Nationwide Protests After Court Hands Him 17-Year Sentence In Toshakhana-II Case

Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan has called on his supporters to prepare for nationwide protests and announced his intention to challenge the verdict against him in the Islamabad High Court after he and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were sentenced to 17 years in prison in the Toshakhana-II corruption case, Dawn reported.

‘Will Need To Stand Up For Rights’ Imran Khan

Khan sent his message via his legal team because he does not now have access to his social media accounts. The PTI founder told Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi to start preparing for a major street protest, according to a post on X that describes a conversation between Khan and his attorney. “I have instructed Sohail Afridi, the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, to get ready for the street protest. The country as a whole will need to stand up for its rights,” he declared.

Khan claimed he was not surprised by the result and that he had already instructed his legal team to challenge the decision at the high court.”The Toshakhana-II ruling is nothing new to me, just like the irrational rulings and punishments of the previous three years. He said that his legal team was “not even heard” and that the court made this ruling in a hurry without any supporting documentation or meeting legal standards. According to Dawn, he added that the Insaf Lawyers Forum and the larger legal community must take the lead in upholding constitutional supremacy and the rule of law, emphasising that economic advancement is impossible without justice.

What Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Calls It

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) called the decision “blatantly unconstitutional, illegal, malicious and the worst form of political revenge and a textbook case of victimisation” in an official statement. PTI leaders alleged that the conviction was aimed solely at prolonging Khan’s imprisonment and easing pressure on what they termed a “petrified ruling clique”. They claimed that political victimisation was being carried out through a “subservient” judiciary, undermining the rule of law in the country. Addressing a press conference alongside senior PTI leader Asad Qaiser, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja said that Imran Khan met his lead counsel, Barrister Salman Safdar, in the courtroom and shared a message for the nation. He quoted Khan as saying, “I am standing firm and resolute and will not seek an apology from anyone, come what may.” Raja further alleged that the case relied only on promissory notes and lacked substantive evidence. “They have no witnesses except the person whom the PTI founder himself brought forward,” he said. The sentencing of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi to 17 years in prison in the Toshakhana-II case has triggered public debate and raised concerns about the credibility of the judicial process.

Toshakhana II Case

Speaking to ANI, residents and journalists in Lahore and Peshawar questioned the court’s ruling, citing alleged political motivations and lack of evidence. Lahore resident Hamid Riaz Doger said, “The judiciary has become so weak that the public no longer has any confidence in its rulings. Recently, on May 9th, many people were sentenced. Many of them weren’t even present at the scene, yet they were sentenced to 10 years in prison. In the Toshakhana II case, the court has sentenced Imran Khan and his wife to 17 years of imprisonment. The truth is, the courts can say whatever they want, and our rulers can say whatever they want, but the public has no confidence in these courts or these sentences.” A Bulgari jewellery set valued at more over PKR 71 million that was given to the Saudi Crown Prince is allegedly undervalued. Bushra Bibi and Imran Khan were condemned under laws pertaining to corruption and criminal breach of trust. Zaki Ullah Mujahid, a Lahore resident, claimed that the public’s confidence in the legal system has been damaged by the courts’ ruling.

Zaki Ullah Mujahid, another citizen of Lahore, claimed that the decision had further eroded popular trust in democratic institutions. “I believe this is a spectacle that has eroded public trust in Pakistan’s democracy and its institutions. If we want to move our country forward, then every institution and every individual must play their role within the framework of the constitution and the law…The forceful way in which this matter is being pursued is certainly not commendable.”

(With Inputs From ANI)

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