PTI Chief and ex-Pakistan PM Imran Khan Calls For Nationwide Protest

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and spouse Bushra Bibi have been handed 17-year jail terms in the Toshakhana 2 corruption case, linked to gifts received from Saudi Arabia in 2021. A day later, Khan, aged 73, urged a nationwide protest through a message released on X, challenging the verdict.

The Toshakhana 2 corruption case concerns accusations that Khan and Bushra misreported or misused valuable state gifts. These items allegedly came from the Saudi Arabian government in 2021. The gifts passed through the Toshakhana, a unit in Pakistan's Cabinet Division that records and stores presents for rulers and officials. Khan has remained in jail since August 2023.

Imran Khan Toshakhana 2 corruption case protest call and online message

Imran Khan's protest appeal surfaced in a video conversation with lawyers, later uploaded to his X account, previously called Twitter. Jail rules deny Khan internet access, so it is unclear who actually posted the clip. During the interaction, Khan asked supporters to mobilise on the streets and pressed a key provincial leader to organise.

"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, adding, "Struggle is worship, and I am even ready to embrace martyrdom for the true freedom of Pakistan!"

Imran Khan Toshakhana 2 corruption case verdict and legal challenge

Imran Khan dismissed the Toshakhana 2 decision as part of a wider pattern and said lawyers will file an appeal in a high court. "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," Khan said.

The former prime minister also criticised Pakistan's military, accusing officials of mentally pressuring both Khan and Bushra inside jail. Khan claimed other prisoners can watch television but the couple are denied this access. Khan urged legal groups to respond. "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 added.

Legal proceedings in the Toshakhana 2 corruption case have stretched across several stages. In 2024, the Islamabad High Court granted Bushra bail in this matter. Khan later received bail as well. Despite that relief, both were indicted again in December 2025 in the same case, which has now resulted in fresh convictions and sentences.

Khan's call for mass protests and a broader "street movement" places added pressure on Pakistan's institutions as the Toshakhana 2 corruption case continues. Support from political workers, the Justice Lawyers Forum and other lawyers' groups may decide how strongly this challenge plays out on the ground and within the courts.