Ex-Pakistan PM Imran Khan gets 10 yrs in jail in 2nd case, faces 150 more cases

NEW DELHI: A Pakistan court on Tuesday gave a 10-year prison term to former prime minister Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi for leaking confidential state information in what has come to be known as the “cipher case”.

The verdict, which has been delivered nine days ahead of the February 8 general election, is expected to further affect the prospects of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. Khan’s supporters have contended this was the latest in a raft of legal cases aimed at sidelining the cricketer-turned-politician, who continues to enjoy widespread grassroots support.

Presiding Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain announced the ruling at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, where the trial was conducted. Both leaders were present in the special court, which was established under the Official Secrets Act to prosecute Khan and Qureshi for leaking a diplomatic cable received from the Pakistan embassy in Washington.

Khan and the PTI have for long claimed that the diplomatic cable contained a purported threat from the US to oust him as the prime minister. Khan was ousted in a no-confidence vote in 2022 and is not eligible to contest the election as he is already serving a three-year jail term. More than 150 other cases are also pending against him.

The diplomatic cable, based on then envoy Asad Majeed’s meeting with US State Department official Donald Lu, was at the centre of PTI’s claim that the US administration conspired with elements in Pakistan to dislodge Khan.

Following his removal from office in the no-confidence motion in the National Assembly or lower house of Parliament, Khan leveraged the cable’s contents to claim a US plot against his government, sparking political protests and widespread unrest during which PTI workers targeted army facilities and installations.

Khan’s trial was marred by controversy, including interruptions and allegations of procedural irregularities.

At one point, the Islamabad high court invalidated Khan’s trial in jail and called for a fresh trial in open court. However, the federal cabinet backed the continuation of the trial in jail, leading to its resumption.

The PTI too expressed its dissatisfaction with the trial, saying it was not consistent with legal principles and justice. It also signalled its intention to contest the court’s decision.

Khan was sidelined from the general election after being convicted in a case related to the improper sale of state gifts and Tuesday’s verdict is expected to further cut into the prospects of his political comeback.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi, a close aide of Khan, was earlier cleared by election authorities to contest a parliamentary seat in Sindh province. However, his conviction means he too has been disqualified from contesting elections for five years.

The sentence also reflects the rift between the powerful military establishment and Khan, who was often accused by detractors of coming to power in 2018 with the help of the army. They said the army had engineered defections from other parties to boost the prospects of the PTI. Before he fell out with the army over the poor performance of the PTI government and interference in senior army appointments, Khan often claimed that he and the military were on the same page.

The PML-N party of former premier Nawaz Sharif, who returned to Pakistan last October after four years in self-exile, is now widely expected to win the upcoming election. On the other hand, the PTI is contesting the election against the backdrop of a sustained crackdown on its leaders and after being denied an electoral symbol.