30 January 2024 , 07:41
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Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan has been sentenced to ten years in prison for leaking state secrets.
Along with one of his party deputies, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Khan was previously found guilty of revealing official secrets. According to Zulfiqar Bukhari, spokesman for Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, the court announced the verdict during a hearing at the Adiala jail in Rawalpindi.
Khan, 71, was previously ousted through a no-confidence vote in parliament in April 2022 and is already serving a three-year prison sentence in a corruption case. He has been in jail since August of last year and claims that the charges are politically motivated.
The sentencing of the cricketer-turned-politician is a part of what is popularly known as the Cipher case and in relation to a diplomatic cable that Khan claims proved his allegations that a conspiracy existed to remove him from power in 2022. The latest development comes just a week ahead of the February 8 parliamentary elections in the country.
Khan's team is likely to appeal against today's ruling and whilst he won't be on the ballot in next month's elections, he remains a potent political force in Pakistan. This is because of a significant grassroots following combined with an anti-establishment rhetoric.
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Recently, Khan's supporters held nationwide rallies across Pakistan, some of which descended into violence, leading to clashes with police. They raised slogans against the caretaker government who they warn has been trying to keep the PTI party out of the upcoming elections.
The sentence is in relation to one of over 150 cases against Khan (AFP via Getty Images)The government has cracked down on the party, including reportedly barring them from holding public gatherings, forcibly changing their symbol, and having key candidates disqualified or jailed, according to the Independent.
Pakistan’s independent human rights commission has said there is little chance of a free and fair parliamentary election next month because of "pre-poll rigging." It also expressed concern about authorities rejecting the candidacies of Khan and senior figures from his party.
The Cipher case is just one of over 150 cases against Khan and other charges range from contempt of court to terrorism and inciting violence.
Khan is alleged to have waved the confidential document during a rally after he was removed as premier. He claimed it was proof he was being threatened and ousted by a US conspiracy, executed by the country's military and government. Both Washington and Pakistani officials have denied the claim.
The document in question, the Cipher, has never been made public but was apparently a diplomatic correspondence between the Pakistani ambassador to Washington and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad.