Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan sentenced to 10-year jail term

Former Prime minister of Pakistan Imran Khan has been sentenced to 10 years in prison in a case in which he was charged with leaking state secrets.

Khan, who was removed from office as prime minister in 2022 by his opponents, is already serving a three-year jail term after being convicted of corruption.

He claims that every accusation made against him is politically motivated.

The conviction under the secrets act comes the week before general elections in which he is prohibited from standing.

The former international cricketer urged the public to “take revenge for every injustice with your vote on February 8 while remaining peaceful” in a statement released on his X (formerly Twitter) account.

“Tell them that we are not sheep that can be driven with a stick,” he continued.

A special court established within Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi has sentenced Shah Mahmood Qureshi, the former foreign minister and vice-chairman of Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, to ten years in prison. Both men are now being held there.

The center of the so-called “cipher case” is the purported disclosure of classified diplomatic correspondence that was delivered to Islamabad under Khan’s prime ministership from Pakistan’s ambassador in Washington.

It has to do with his March 2022 appearance at a rally, one month before the former cricket player was removed from office by a vote of no confidence in parliament. Upon taking the podium, Imran Khan waved a piece of paper that he said revealed a foreign plot against him.

He clarified by saying that “all will be forgiven if Imran Khan is removed from power”. He didn’t mention the country, but went on to criticize the United States.

The former prime minister’s acts, according to the prosecution, equated to releasing a secret document and damaging international relations. The death penalty or even life in prison are possible outcomes of the latter charge.

Ever since his arrest in August, Imran Khan has spent the majority of his time in Adiala jail. The special court has been holding proceedings over the past few months, although attendance by international journalists has been prohibited.

The judge has reportedly been instructed to expedite the trial, according to the local media. A PTI official referred to the court decision as a joke and declared that it would be challenged.

“We don’t accept this illegal decision,” Naeem Panjutha, a lawyer for the former PM who is fighting scores of other legal cases, posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Another adviser to Khan stated that although his legal team was not given the chance to defend him or cross-examine witnesses, he was optimistic that the appeal would be maintained at the supreme court.

Hours after the verdict, four PTI employees were slain and five more injured in an explosion at a political gathering in

the province of Balochistan. Although it’s unknown who planted it, police indicated that preliminary investigations suggested the presence of an explosive device.

The sentence coincides with the election scheduled for February 8th, which is expected to be postponed due to accusations that the PTI is not being allowed a fair opportunity to campaign.

The PTI’s leaders are either in jail or have defected, and several of its candidates must run as independents while others are on the run. The authorities deny carrying out a crackdown on the party.

Thousands of its supporters were also arrested by police following the sometimes violent protests that followed Imran Khan’s initial detention in May of last year.

The party has also lost its cricket bat symbol, which is crucial in a nation with low literacy rates so that voters can mark their ballots wherever they see fit.

Many are doubting the legitimacy of the vote on Thursday because of how much Imran Khan, who is still one of the most well-liked leaders in Pakistan, and his party have been marginalized.

Nawaz Sharif, the three-time former prime minister, is the favorite; he returned from self-imposed exile in autumn. Throughout the majority of his lengthy career, he has been a thorn in the side of the strong military, and he was jailed for corruption prior to Imran Khan’s victory in the 2018 election.

The roles have now reversed. The lack of success in Nawaz Sharif’s legal proceedings has led many to conclude that the establishment now favors him, while his rival, who was once seen to be close to the military, has fallen from favor.

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