Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan Sentenced to 10 Years in Jail for Leaking State Secrets

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and his former foreign minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, have been sentenced to 10 years in jail for leaking state secrets. The case, which revolves around alleged leaking of secret diplomatic correspondence sent by Pakistan’s ambassador in Washington to Islamabad, has been a subject of controversy and has further polarized the political landscape in the country.

The so-called cipher case stems from an incident where Imran Khan appeared on stage at a rally in March 2022, waving a piece of paper alleged to show a foreign conspiracy against him. The prosecution argued that his actions amounted to leaking a classified document that could potentially damage diplomatic relations, a charge which carries severe penalties, including life imprisonment or the death penalty.

Imran Khan, who was already serving a three-year jail term on corruption charges, has labeled all the charges against him as politically motivated. He has been held in Adiala Jail since August and was deemed ineligible to stand in the upcoming general elections scheduled for 8 February. The sentencing comes as a significant blow to Imran Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.

The court ruling in the cipher case was met with criticism and allegations of a sham trial by PTI. Naeem Panjutha, Khan’s lawyer, expressed their refusal to accept the court’s decision and described it as illegal.

The upcoming general elections have been marred by controversy, with allegations of authorities preventing the PTI from campaigning and claims of pre-poll rigging by the independent human rights commission. Despite his incarceration, Imran Khan remains a prominent political figure in Pakistan with a strong following attracted to his anti-establishment rhetoric. However, his absence from the elections may shift the focus onto other contenders such as Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Nawaz Sharif, who recently returned from exile and was also sentenced to 10 years in a corruption case.

With the PTI leadership weakened and several pending legal cases against Imran Khan, a coalition government appears to be the likely scenario in the forthcoming elections.