Imran Khan Cleared in State Secrets Scandal
It seems like going round the same circle for Former Pakistani Prime Minister, Imran Khan, who, although, acquitted of leaking state secrets but remains in jail for conviction in yet another case.
In the run-up to elections in February, the 71-year-old - who was ousted as prime minister in 2022 - was hit with three prison sentences for cases he insists were politically motivated.
Khan was sentenced to 10 years in prison in January on charges of making public a diplomatic cable in 2022.
Although Islamabad High Court upheld his appeal and cleared him in that case today, he is not expected to leave prison for now.
The former cricket star and his third wife Bushra are both serving prison sentences after a court ruled that their 2018 marriage had been un-Islamic and illegal as it came too soon after her divorce.
The couple were also found guilty of corruption over gifts received during his term as prime minister.
Even while imprisoned, the former cricket star continues to wield significant influence in Pakistani politics. During the February elections, his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, forced to field candidates as independents, emerged as the largest single bloc. However, they failed to secure a majority, and their rivals united to form a new government.
In the so-called "cipher case," prosecutors claimed Khan had leaked a classified cable sent to Pakistan’s ambassador in Washington. At a rally in March 2022, the then prime minister waved a piece of paper on stage, asserting it revealed a foreign conspiracy against him. Though he didn't specify the country, he subsequently criticized the US, a claim denied by both Washington and Pakistani officials.
Prosecutors argued that Khan's actions constituted leaking a classified document and harming diplomatic relations. His foreign minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, was also sentenced to 10 years in prison. However, both men were acquitted of the charges on Monday.
"Thank God, the sentence is overturned," PTI spokesman Naeem Panjutha, said in a post on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
