ISLAMABAD: As the federal ministers hailed a hefty sentence meted out to former prime minister Imran Khan and his spouse in the Toshakhana-II case, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the punishment was a `consecutive sentence`, which would begin after the sentence in the £190 million corruption case ended.

Speaking to Geo News, the minister welcomed the judgement, saying that Mr Khan and his wife had `committed fraud` by getting the gifts undervalued and retaining them for personal use.

He said the PTI founder and his wife`s actions were a `breach of public trust`.

`During the trial, when these gifts were properly assessed, it emerged that ... the actual price was quite high,` he said, adding that the two had `committedfraud` by undervaluing the gifts and retaining them for personal use.

`They had no right to harm the exchequer and retain gifts,` he stressed. He said the judgement was `completely fair and grounded in the principles of justice`. `The misuse of office, dishonesty with the government`s property, and criminal breach of trust, all of it has been proven, he said.

Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Ageel Malik, while speaking with Geo News, remarked that the judgement was `in line with the Constitution and the law`.

He stressed that `there was no political side to this, if you violate the law, it is clear that a punishment is expected`.

`The trial that went on for 15-16 months [and] it was proven that PTI founder and his wife caused the national exchequer significant harm as the set`s valuation wasunder-reported,` Mr Malik said.

`The gift was not even submitted,` he added.

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah also addressed the issue while speaking to the media in Chiniot, saying state gifts did not belong to the person, but the state.

He said the entire case against Mr Khan was documented.

The PML-N leader said the government had no plans to shift Mr Khan out of Adiala jail despite rumours to the contrary in this regard. The PM`s aide said the government only objected to his political meetings, which were being used by the visitors as a `propaganda tool` to `spread disinformation` against state institutions. That`s why the meetings were stopped, he said, alluding to a ban on meetings with Imran Khan.

In Toba Tek Singh, Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry said the PTI founder and his wife,who claimed to be establishing the `State of Madina`, were punished for emptying the entire Toshakhana. He alleged the PTI founder and his wife took everything, from a dinner set to a mobile phone, from the state repository. An iPhone was taken away for just Rs15,000, he claimed.

According to the minister, the PTI leader mis-declared the `rarest necklace in the world` and took it away after paying a small amount. He also said the government did not stop the PTI founder`s sons from coming to Pakistan.

`If they want to come, give them the tracking number and we will issue visas immediately,` he said.

He added that they had asked Aleema Khan for the children`s tracking numbers, but she did not share them.

Tariq Saeed in Toba Tek Singh and Aurangzeb Malik in Chiniot also contributed to this report