Ex-Pak PM Imran Khan, wife Bushra Bibi sentenced to 17 years in Toshakhana corruption case
Islamabad (PTI): A Pakistani accountability court on Saturday sentenced jailed former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to 17 years imprisonment each in the Toshakhana 2 corruption case.
The case is about alleged fraud in state gifts, which the former first couple received from the Saudi government in 2021.
Special court judge Shahrukh Arjumand announced the judgment in the case in Rawalpindi's high-security Adiala Jail.
Khan and Bushra were awarded 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment under Section 409 (criminal breach of trust) of the Pakistan Penal Code and seven years under different Sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
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The court also imposed a fine of PKR 16.4 million on each of them.
The case was filed in July 2024 and was based on allegations that valuable items, including expensive watches, as well as diamond and gold jewellery sets, were sold by the former couple without being deposited in the Toshakhana - the state gift repository.
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.
Meanwhile, the prosecution process went on in the Adiala Jail, where both Khan and his wife have already been incarcerated after conviction earlier this year in the Al-Qadir Trust case.
Both convicts can file appeals in the High Court against their convictions.
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PM Tarique Rahman vows to turn B'desh into safe land for people of all faiths
Dhaka (PTI): Bangladesh's newly-elected Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday vowed to strengthen the rule of law and said his government will turn the country into a safe land for people of all faiths, regardless of party, opinion, religion, or ethnicity.
In his maiden televised address to the nation after assuming office, Rahman outlined his government's priorities and said that improving the law and order situation and strictly controlling corruption to restore peace and security are his top priorities.
"We want to turn this country into a safe land for every citizen. Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Christians -- regardless of party, opinion, religion, or ethnicity -- whether living in the hills or the plains, this country belongs to all of us,” said the prime minister , who is also the chief of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
"Whether you voted for BNP, or did not vote for BNP, or did not vote at all -- everyone has equal rights over this government...As a Bangladeshi, every one of us has equal rights in this country, in this state," he asserted.
The Hindu population in Bangladesh has been affected by a series of incidents against minority communities in the country after the ouster of then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024.
Under the interim government of Muhammad Yunus since August 2024, Bangladesh experienced a rise in mob violence, extrajudicial killings and attacks on minority communities, especially Hindus.
Rights group Manabadhikar Shongskriti Foundation (MSF) said that in January 2026 alone, they documented 21 incidents of lynching and 28 incidents of mob beatings.
Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council reported 522 communal attacks in 2025, including killings, rapes, and temple vandalism, with murders of 116 people of minority faiths, mostly Hindus, between June 2025 and January 2026.
The reports suggested leaders and activists of the Awami League, disbanded by the Yunus’ regime, were the victims of most attacks.
India has been expressing concerns over attacks on minorities, especially Hindus, in Bangladesh.
Earlier, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, the senior-most minister in the new government, said that the law and order issue was one of three priorities and the administration would take steps to end "mob violence".
Alamgir, who is also the party's secretary general and entrusted with the charge of the local government ministry, said, “This (mob violence) will be controlled."
"We must strive to improve the law and order situation, regardless of how much it has deteriorated," he added.
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed also said, "The mob culture in no way can be tolerated."
In his address, Rahman said every constitutional, governmental, and non-governmental institution will operate according to established laws and regulations.
“Not party or political influence or force, but the rule of law will be the final word in governing the state,” he said.
He said establishing a self-reliant, secure, humane, and democratic Bangladesh is the goal of his party's government.
Rahman also said the new government has begun its journey amid a fragile economy battered by corruption and misrule, a weak governance structure, and a deteriorating law and order situation.
He also extended his greetings to the people on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan.
On the supply of gas, water, and electricity during the month of Ramadan, Rahman said he has already instructed the authorities concerned to ensure the civic amenities during iftar, tarawih, and sehri times.
Referring to his previous pledge that if the BNP was voted to power, the government would follow the ideal of justice of the Holy Prophet, he said, "I believe that this decision of the BNP parliamentary party reflects that very ideal of justice".
Rahman, 60, was sworn in as the 11th prime minister on Tuesday after leading his party to a forceful victory in the 13th Parliamentary polls held on February 12. He replaced interim government chief Yunus.
Rahman, the son of late President Ziaur Rahman and former premier Khaleda Zia, returned home in December after living in London in self-exile for 17 years.
Along with Rahman, 25 ministers and 24 state ministers also took the oath of office on Tuesday.
