Information
The former prime minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, has reportedly been sentenced to 10 years in prison for allegedly exposing official state secrets. The charges are related to a case known as the “cypher case.” Imran Khan and PTI Vice-President Shah Mahmood Qureshi each received 10-year sentences. This development comes as Pakistan approaches elections scheduled for February 8.
Imran Khan had previously been sentenced to three years in August on corruption charges, but the jail term was suspended. Both Khan and Qureshi have maintained their innocence since being indicted in October for exposing state secrets. Khan, who was granted bail in December, claimed that the charges were politically motivated to prevent him from participating in the upcoming elections. He also asserted that a US-backed conspiracy targeted him due to his close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The verdict has been criticized as excessive by some legal experts, and Imran Khan’s party, PTI, has announced plans to challenge the court proceedings before the Supreme Court. Despite the challenges, a senior PTI member expressed confidence that higher courts would eventually provide justice, criticizing the lower court’s decision as manipulated and predetermined. The party argued that the document central to the leaked secrets conviction had already been declassified by the government.
Source: AFP, Reuters, AP, dpa
Assessment
Due to the level of support that Imran Khan still has in Pakistan, this sentence is likely to be met with protests in major cities. Such protests have previously turned violent as the Pakistani government has tried to disperse these protesters using violence; such confrontations are likely to occur again with a possibility of violence. While public information is currently unclear surrounding Imran Khan’s guilt or innocence, he will likely remain incarcerated for at least the foreseeable future, with a possibility he could make a deal after the election to secure his release.
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