Imran Khan, former Pak PM, sentenced to 10 years in jail in state secrets case

Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan was sentenced to 10 years in jail for his alleged involvement in a case in which he was accused of leaking state secrets.

Already serving a three-year jail term after being convicted of corruption, Khan was ousted by his opponents as PM in 2022. As per a BBC report, he has labelled all charges against him as politically motivated.

The conviction comes a week before general elections in which is he barred from standing.

Along with Khan, former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi (vice-chairman of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party) was also sentenced to 10 years in prison by the special court which was set up inside Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. Both of them are being held there.

A PTI spokesman said it would challenge the court ruling and called it a mockery.

“We don’t accept this illegal decision,” Naeem Panjutha, a lawyer for the former PM who is fighting scores of other legal cases, posted on X (formerly Twitter).

The alleged state secret case revolves around the alleged leaking of secret diplomatic correspondence sent by Pakistan’s ambassador in Washington to Islamabad when Khan was prime minister.

This case is related to his March 2022 rally when he appeared on stage and waved a piece of paper that he says showed a foreign conspiracy against him.

He said the piece of paper detailed that “all will be forgiven if Imran Khan is removed from power”. While he didn’t disclose the name of the country, he remained highly critical of the United States.

The prosecution said that Khan’s actions amounted to leaking a classified document and damaging diplomatic relations. If the charges are proven, it can lead to life imprisonment or the death penalty.

The general election will be held on 8 February.

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