Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan granted bail in cipher case: Will he be released?

Pakistan's Supreme Court approved former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan and vice-chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi's post-arrest bail applications in the cipher case, Geo TV reported.

The PTI founder was indicted in the cipher case again earlier this month by the special court established under the Official Secrets Act 2023 after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) declared their jail trial null and void.

What Imran Khan said during the hearing?

During the hearing, Imran Khan claimed that "powerful people" behind the cipher case were being protected.

“I ordered to initiate an inquiry into the matter when I was the prime minister,” he said, adding that his party leaders were being locked inside jails "like goats" while Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif was brought back to Pakistan.

What is the cipher case?

Imran Khan has pleaded not guilty to charges of leaking state secrets which are related to a classified cable sent to Islamabad by Pakistan's ambassador in Washington last year. The former prime minister was accused of making them public.

Will Imran Khan be released from jail?

It was not immediately clear if Imran Khan would be released from jail as he has multiple arrest warrants issued against him in several other cases.

What are the other cases Imran Khan has been jailed for?

Imran Khan has been in jail since August after his conviction on corruption charges in a separate case.