Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has been handed a 10-year jail sentence for violating the Official Secrets Act by publicly disclosing a diplomatic cable during his tenure. The Special Court Judge, Abual Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain, issued the verdict on Tuesday, with Imran Khan’s lawyer, Shoaib Shaheen, confirming the development. Additionally, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, the former foreign minister, faced the same conviction and sentence in connection with the case.
The charges revolve around accusations that Imran Khan shared confidential information contained in a cable from the Pakistani ambassador in Washington to the government in Islamabad. Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi both have the option to appeal the decision in a higher court, providing a legal avenue for challenging the sentencing.
The political landscape stirred with Imran Khan’s party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), expressing strong opposition to the court’s ruling. PTI denounced the verdict as a “sham case” and declared its intention to contest the decision. The party emphasized the perceived injustice, describing it as a “complete mockery and disregard of law in the cypher case.” Despite the legal setback, PTI urged the public to participate in the upcoming general elections on February 8, signaling a commitment to democratic processes amid the legal challenges faced by its leadership.
تحریک انصاف سے بلے کا نشان چھین جانے کے بعد اب یہ تحریک انصاف کے ہر کارکن کی ذمہ داری ہے کہ وہ خود عمران خان بنے اور عمران خان کے نامزد ہر امیدوار کی کمپین چلائے۔
— PTI (@PTIofficial) January 28, 2024
اس سلسلے میں ہر کارکن کی اب یہ ذمہ داری ہے وہ اپنے حلقے کے تحریک انصاف کے قومی و صوبائی اسمبلی کے دونوں امیدواروں کے… pic.twitter.com/3tPTJZAbwH
PTI wrote on it’s official Twitter handle: “Pakistan stands with Imran Khan and Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who defended Pakistan and stood for Haqeeqi Azadi. No such sham trial can change what happened in March- April 2022, on the orders of Donald Lu.”
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.
