Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan, has been handed a ten-year jail sentence. The conviction stems from what is known as the “cipher case,” a charge involving the unauthorised release of classified diplomatic communications.
Imran Khan, who had been deposed as prime minister in a parliamentary no-confidence motion in 2022, was already serving a three-year term for corruption-related offences. He has consistently maintained that the allegations against him are the result of political machinations designed to undercut his influence.
This latest development arises just as Pakistan prepares for its general elections, from which Khan has been disqualified. His disbarment from the electoral process now coincides with a prison sentence that notably intensifies his legal entanglements.
Also entangled in the case is Shah Mahmood Qureshi, former foreign minister and vice-chairman of Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), who received a parallel ten-year sentence from the special court in Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi—the same facility holding both men.
Centered around secret diplomatic cables from Pakistan’s envoy in Washington back to Islamabad during Khan’s tenure as PM, the case reached a crescendo when Khan, at a rally in March 2022, brandished a document he claimed exposed a foreign plot to remove him from power. While declining to specify the nation involved, he levied substantial criticism at the United States in later statements.
According to the prosecution, Khan’s disclosure of the document on a public platform was tantamount to leaking classified information and has potentially inflicted damage upon Pakistan’s diplomatic relationships. Notably, these charges carry severe penalties, with life imprisonment and capital punishment cited as consequences for the most egregious breaches of the Official Secrets Act.
This conviction comes at a politically tumultuous time for Pakistan, adding a layer of complexity to an already volatile election season. The sentence and the ongoing narrative around Imran Khan’s legal battles are expected to continue dominating the country’s headlines and public discourse.
