Imran Khan In Jail: PTI Chief Calls for Nationwide Protests After 17-Year Sentence; Is Pakistan on the Brink Again?

Imran Khan In Jail: Imran Khan has also 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.

Imran Khan In Jail: Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan has reportedly called on his supporters to prepare for nationwide protests. He currently does not have access to his social media accounts and has conveyed his message through his legal team. 

In addition, he has also 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.

ANI reported that according to a post on X recounting a conversation between Khan and his lawyer, the PTI founder instructed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi to begin preparations for a mass street movement.

"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.

Khan stated that the verdict did not surprise him and said he had already directed his legal team to approach the high court against the ruling. "Like the baseless decisions and sentences of the last three years, the Toshakhana-II 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".

He also stated that the Insaf Lawyers Forum and the wider legal fraternity must take a leading role in defending constitutional supremacy and the rule of law, stressing that economic progress was impossible without justice, Dawn reported.

Also Read- Pakistan Court Sentences Ex-PM Imran Khan And Wife Bushra Bibi To 17 Years In Prison

PTI's Allegations 

In an official statement, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) described the verdict as "blatantly unconstitutional, illegal, malicious and the worst form of political revenge and a textbook case of victimisation".

PTI leaders have alleged that the conviction was aimed solely at prolonging Imran Khan's imprisonment and easing pressure on what they called a "petrified ruling clique". 

Moreover, the leaders of PTI have also 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.

Imran Khan In Jail 

The sentencing of Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, to 17 years in prison in the Toshakhana-II case has raised concerns about the credibility of the judicial process.

The case reportedly involves allegations of undervaluing a Bulgari jewellery set worth over PKR 71 million, received from the Saudi Crown Prince. 

Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were sentenced under sections related to criminal breach of trust and corruption. 

(with ANI inputs)