A special court in Rawalpindi announced on Tuesday a 10-year prison sentence for former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his close aide Shah Mahmood Qureshi for disclosing the state secrets.
The special court was established under the Official Secrets Act 2023 and hearings were held at the Adiala jail where both Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi were held for different crimes.
The Cipher case mainly revolves around a diplomatic cable which, according Imran Khan, included a threat against his government.
Imran Khan waved a document at a public gathering, calling it “proof” of a regime change conspiracy against his government by the US and others in 2022. He cited his visit to Moscow just before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a reason behind the conspiracy.
Other than US, the Pakistani authorities also rejected Imran Khan’s claim and a case was filed against him for disclosing the state secrets.
The special court found Imran Khan guilty of making public the contents of a secret diplomatic cable sent by Pakistan’s ambassador in Washington to the government in Islamabad.
The former PM said the contents of the cable had already appeared in the media from other sources.
Central Leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Imran Khan’s Special Advisor on International Media Syed Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari called the case “sham with no access to media or public”.
Mr Khan is expected to challenge the decision in a higher court, but the latest verdict represents the latest in a series of rulings against PTI and its senior officials ahead of the 8 February election.
Mr Khan had already been banned from running for office himself after he was convicted in a corruption case, which he says was politically motivated.
The timing of this latest ruling is notable, given the impending parliamentary elections scheduled for February 8. However, Khan is disqualified from participating in the elections due to his prior criminal conviction.
Despite being absent from the ballot, Khan remains a formidable political force due to his substantial grassroots support and anti-establishment stance.
He contended that the legal actions against him are part of a conspiracy to sideline him ahead of the elections.
The independent human rights commission in Pakistan has expressed concerns about the fairness of the upcoming elections, citing instances of “pre-poll rigging.”
Imran Khan faces a staggering number of over 150 pending cases, covering a range of charges from contempt of court to terrorism and incitement of violence.
