Amid growing rumours over former Pakistan Prime Minister ‘s fate in custody, the Pakistan Army’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), has dismissed claims that the jailed leader died at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, calling the reports “false” and “fabricated”.
It all began with claims by a Pakistani journalist Wajahat Khan that senior military officers feared that the former Pakistan PM may have died in custody, triggering a wave of speculation across Pakistan. After clarifications by ISPR, the journalist said, “Fake or whatever, because that means Imran is alive. We have forced them to respond after months of deafening, chilling, frustrating silence.”
The latest episode about the former Pak PM has again brought to focus the cases against the (PTI) chief. Khan has faced a long list of criminal cases since his removal from office in 2022, ranging from corruption and alleged misuse of state gifts to charges linked to protests and attacks on military installations.
However, not all the cases have resulted in convictions, and some of his earlier convictions have since been overturned or suspended. Khan and his PTI party have consistently denied wrongdoing and described several of the prosecutions as politically motivated. According to The Guardian report, he is facing over 100 cases.
Here are the key cases that have resulted in convictions or continue to affect his imprisonment:
Al-Qadir Trust case
The most important case keeping Khan in prison is the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case, also known as the Al-Qadir University case.
An accountability court in January 2025 sentenced Khan to 14 years in prison and his wife, Bushra Bibi, to seven years. The case centres on allegations that the couple received land and other benefits from property tycoon Malik Riaz’s Bahria Town in connection with the settlement of a £190 million amount returned to Pakistan by the UK.
Prosecutors alleged that Khan and Bushra benefited from the arrangement through land transferred for the Al-Qadir Trust.
Khan has denied the allegations. His appeal against the conviction remains pending before the Islamabad High Court. In May 2026, the court rejected his plea seeking suspension of the sentence, while the main appeal continued.
Toshakhana cases
refers to Pakistan’s state repository for gifts received by government officials from foreign dignitaries.
Khan has faced multiple cases over allegations that he improperly retained or sold state gifts received during his 2018-2022 premiership.
In his first Toshakhana case, Khan was convicted in August 2023 and sentenced to three years for concealing details of state gifts. The sentence was later suspended on appeal.
He and Bushra were subsequently sentenced to 14 years in another Toshakhana case in January 2024 over allegations involving the illegal acquisition and sale of state gifts. That sentence was also suspended.
A separate case, known as Toshakhana-2, concerns allegations surrounding the purchase of an expensive jewellery set gifted by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
In December 2025, a court sentenced Khan and Bushra to 17 years each in the case. Khan has challenged the conviction, seeking suspension of his sentence.
Cipher or state secrets case
Khan was also prosecuted over allegations that he made public the contents of a classified diplomatic cable, known as the cipher, during his premiership.
He was sentenced to 10 years in prison in January 2024 under the Official Secrets Act.
However, the Islamabad High Court overturned his conviction in June 2024, acquitting Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the case. Khan therefore is not currently in jail because of the cipher case.
May 9 violence and other cases
Khan and other PTI leaders have also faced cases connected to the violence that followed his arrest on May 9, 2023.
Protests erupted across Pakistan, with demonstrators attacking or damaging military and government installations, including the Army General Headquarters in Rawalpindi.
Khan has faced allegations of inciting or abetting violence linked to these events, among other cases. Some of these proceedings have resulted in bail or other relief, while other cases remain part of his broader legal battles.
Iddat case
Khan and Bushra were sentenced to seven years in February 2024 in a case concerning their marriage. The prosecution alleged that Bushra had not completed the required waiting period, or iddat, after her previous marriage before marrying Khan.
The Islamabad High Court overturned the conviction in July 2024. Khan is therefore not serving his current prison sentence because of the Iddat case.
So, why is Imran Khan still in jail?
The key point is that Khan’s current imprisonment is primarily tied to the 14-year sentence in the Al-Qadir Trust case, with the separate Toshakhana-2 conviction adding another lengthy sentence that is being challenged on appeal.
His earlier 10-year cipher conviction and seven-year Iddat conviction were overturned, while his earlier Toshakhana sentence was suspended. His legal team continues to challenge the convictions that remain in force.
The Islamabad High Court was still hearing Khan and Bushra’s appeals against their Al-Qadir Trust convictions in June 2026.
Khan has been imprisoned since August 2023 and remains at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. His party maintains that the cases against him are politically motivated, while Pakistani authorities and prosecutors have defended the legal proceedings.
