Imran Khan: Former Prime Minister of Pakistan 10 years in jail in a case in which he was charged with leaking state secrets.
Recently, it was announced that former PM of Pakistan Imran Khan has been sentenced to ten years in prison for allegedly leaking revenue secrets. This adds to his existing three year sentence stemming from corruption charges, which he has teased as a side show to politics.
After being removed in 2022, Khan is not allowed to field a candidate in the upcoming general election. The matter is related to the ongoing case regarding wrongful decision taken under the Information Secrets Act.
Credit: REUTERS
This so – called cipher case dates back to the time when Khan was removed from power, i.e. in March 2022. At a rally at that time, he held up a document which he claimed revealed a foreign conspiracy against him, but did not name the country. Litigation said his act of discussing the full document amounted to a leak of a secret document and amounted to damaging consular relations, which could lead to life imprisonment or the death penalty.
Imran Khan’s party member and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi also received a similar 10 – year prison sentence, handed down by a special court set up for the same case. The trial, which is taking place inside the head quarters where both of them are staying, has raised concerns about the place and dysfunctional establishment of the judiciary.
Imran Khan, who has been lodged in Adiala jail since his arrest in August, claims the court’s decision is illegal. The PTI spokesperson, who describes the decision as a travesty, promises to challenge it and calls it a snub. Khan’s lawyer,
Eem Panjutha , expressed her dissatisfaction on social media, stating that the legal team did not get a chance to interview her or interview her.
According to local media reports, the judge was recently asked to expedite the hearing date. A lawyer for PTI said it would challenge the court’s decision and accused it of being laughable. “We do not accept this illegal decision,” Naeem Panjutha, a lawyer who is fighting hundreds of other legal cases, posted on Twitter at one point.
Local media reports say the judge recently set a date to expedite the trial. Despite the upcoming 8 February elections, there are criticisms that PTI is being denied a fair chance.
Criticism against the authority, in which its leaders are either imprisoned or deified, is greeting it. The party is being forced to field candidates as independents.
Imran Khan was first detained after several thousand PTI supporters were brought in by the police following protests in May, and questions are being raised about the direction of the political environment. The party has touched upon this with its cricket bat symbol, allowing voters to choose where they vote in a country with extremely low education levels.
It’s over 16 years since Nawaz Sharif flew home for elections
Without Imran Khan and his party, questions arise over the credibility of the next elections. Despite the controversies, former three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif is tipped to win. Returning from a self-appointed position, he owes in large part to the military that supported his long career.
He was jailed several times during his tenure and was jailed for corruption before the 2018 elections won by Imran Khan.
Now things have changed. Nawaz Sharif’s prosecutions have been litigated, leading many to believe that he is currently favored by the military, while his replacement – who was once seen to be close to the military – has lost his following.