Imran Khan, Former Pakistani Captain, Sentenced to 10 Years in State Secrets Case !!

Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan has suffered a major setback before the general elections to be held next month. A Pakistani court sentenced Imran Khan to 10 years imprisonment for revealing official secrets. Imran’s party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) gave this information.

Apart from PTI founder Imran Khan, former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has also been sentenced to 10 years in jail in the ‘Cypher’ case, according to Pakistan media reports. Let us tell you that this matter is related to making public confidential documents and confidential diplomatic letters (Cipher). General elections are going to be held in Pakistan on February 8.

Imran Khan, while waving some documents at a rally on March 27, 2022, claimed that it was evidence of an ‘international conspiracy’ to topple his government. Imran Khan and Qureshi are accused of using them for political gains. He was made an accused in December 2023. However, both of them declared themselves innocent.

What did Imran’s party say?

Special court judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain gave this verdict during the hearing of the case in Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail. Khan’s party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) confirmed the development and said it was a “false case”. The media or the public were kept away from it.” His party said in a WhatsApp message, ”Our legal team will challenge this decision in the high court. The Islamabad High Court had twice adjourned the proceedings over the botched hearing of the case and ordered no media and public access. Yet the legal team was not allowed to leave, kept aside and a hasty decision was taken. In such a situation, it is expected that given the above facts, the sentence will be suspended.

Imran’s party may be banned: Report

Pakistani media reports have claimed that after the sentencing of Imran Khan, his party ‘Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’ (PTI) may be banned. The reports quoted sources as saying that it would be possible to ban PTI after the verdict on the PTI founder and other leaders involved in the cases currently pending.

Let us tell you that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), after several years of investigation into the funding of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Party, unanimously announced that the party had received ‘prohibited funds’ in August 2003. This provided an opportunity for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government to dissolve the party. According to the ‘Geo News’ report, Khan was disqualified from Parliament.

Violent protests broke out in Islamabad following Khan’s arrest by paramilitary Rangers on May 9, 2023. More than 20 military establishments and state buildings, including the army headquarters in Rawalpindi, were damaged or set on fire in violent protests following Khan’s arrest in a corruption case. The party was in trouble after the violence by its supporters on May 9. Hundreds of rioters were arrested and booked on various charges in the days following the attack.