On Saturday, Additional District and Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar in Islamabad announced a verdict to sentence Khan to three years in imprisonment in the Toshakhana case and disqualify him for five years from holding any office.
The gifts allegedly included watches given by a royal family, according to government officials, who previously alleged that Khan’s aides sold them in Dubai. The list reportedly also contains perfumes, diamond jewelry, and dinner sets.
Bloomberg stressed the point that, following Khan’s conviction for concealing the revenues from selling official gifts while in office, he will be unable to run in the elections that are set to take place by November.
The publication also mentioned that the PTI chief was swiftly arrested by police on Saturday after a sessions court in Islamabad sentenced him to three years in prison.
BBC News highlighted that the former premier, in a pre-recorded video posted after the verdict, urged supporters to fight against the court judgment.
In a message posted to X, Khan said, "I have only one appeal; don't sit at home silently." "I am struggling for you, the country, and your children's future," he added.
The publication also shed light on the incidents of May 9, when protests erupted across Pakistan after Khan was arrested. Thousands of his supporters were alleged to have been involved in the protests.
Since then, Khan and his political party have been subjected to a harsh crackdown, during which many of his top leadership members were detained before making their exit from the party. Many of Khan's strong followers, who used to often write about him on social media, now hesitate to voice their opinions or even covertly remove their earlier posts.
PTI senior leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi told the media that Khan's legal team is working on filing an appeal in the Islamabad High Court against the verdict.