A special court in Pakistan has sentenced former Pakistan captain and Prime Minister, Imran Khan, to ten years in prison. The charges arise from accusing him of not returning a diplomatic document after authorities removed him from the office of Prime Minister in 2022. Imran, who has been in prison since August 2023 on a separate charge, faces allegations under the Official Secrets Act. The court also sentenced Shah Mahmood Qureshi, a senior figure in Imran’s political party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), to ten years.
The PTI’s official statement on Twitter denounced the ruling as a “sham trial” and a “complete mockery and disregard of law.”
Imran Khan has consistently asserted that the United States orchestrated the no-confidence vote to remove him, alleging the disputed document contains evidence of American diplomatic pressure for his ousting. The charges are related to public discussions about the classified document, known as a cypher, a potential violation of the Official Secrets Act.
Just days before Pakistan’s elections, Imran, despite legal challenges and a five-year bar from running for political office, remains the most popular politician in recent independent polls. His arrest in May 2023 triggered widespread protests and an internet blackout. The PTI has been barred from participating in the upcoming elections.
Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s lawyers have expressed their intention to appeal the sentence at the High Court. The developments add further complexity to the political landscape in Pakistan ahead of the elections.
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