Special Court, Rawalpindi: In a significant development, Former prime minister Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi were on Tuesday sentenced to 10 years each in prison in a case involving revelation of official secrets also known as “Cipher case”.
The decision was announced by Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain, J., of a designated Special Court during hearing of the case held at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.
The Cipher Case deals with Imran Khan’s speech and waiving of a confidential diplomatic letter at a rally after his ouster in a no-confidence vote in parliament in 20221. The former PM of Pakistan was arrested in August after a case was filed against him for allegedly violating the Official Secrets Act by disclosing a secret diplomatic cable (cipher) sent by Pakistan’s embassy in Washington in March 2022. The cipher case concerns a diplomatic cable, which reportedly went missing from Imran Khan’s possession. Khan had used that document to build a narrative that his government was ousted as a result of a foreign conspiracy. Former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi was also indicted along with Imran Khan2.
Khan has been in jail due to cipher case since the Islamabad High Court on August 29 granted him bail in the Toshakhana case in which he was arrested on August 5 from Lahore.
Source: PTI
Image Source: Shah Mahmood Qureshi / Facebook
1. What is Cipher case and why former Pakistan PM Imran Khan could even face death penalty – Times of India (indiatimes.com)
2. Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan charged in cipher case – The Hindu
