Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan has been sentenced to 10 years in jail in the Cipher case by a special court of the country. At the same time, the leader of his party Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi was also sentenced.
The Pakistani court announced the verdict on Tuesday (January 30).
Special Court Judge Abul Hasnat Zulkarnain announced the decision in the presence of two PTI leaders at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi today. Judge Abul Hasnat has been hearing this case since last year. In this verdict, the court also sentenced former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi to 10 years in prison.
National elections are going to be held in Pakistan on February 8. Such judgment has already been given. However, Imran Khan’s party has announced to contest the national elections despite various hurdles and lack of symbols.
A cypher case was filed against Imran Khan and Qureshi in August last year for allegedly violating the State Secrets Act.
In December last year, the Supreme Court granted post-arrest bail to Imran Khan and Qureshi. However, at that time Imran Khan was accused in another case and kept in jail. Meanwhile, Qureshi, who was awaiting release, was re-arrested in a new case on May 9.
A few days later, Judge Miangul Hasan Aurangzeb ordered the adjournment of the hearing till January 11 citing legal errors in the case through the special court.