RAWALPINDI: In the cipher case, Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and his leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi received 10-year sentences.
The issue concerns claims that the former prime minister leaked information from a classified cable that the nation’s envoy in Washington, DC, delivered to the Islamabad administration.
For the troubled PTI founder, this is his second conviction in as many months. In a prior corruption case, he received a three-year term. His imprisonment was suspended as he contested the conviction for corruption, but it had already disqualified him from running in the general elections that follow next month.
In front of both PTI leaders, special court judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain made the announcement verbally about today’s ruling at the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.
The Official Secrets Act of 2023 established the special court. Since the case began last year, Judge Zulqarnain has been holding hearings in Adiala Jail.
Regarding their involvement in the suspected misuse of diplomatic cables for political objectives, both lawmakers had entered not guilty pleas.
During the hearing, Judge Zulqarnain reminded the PTI leaders that their lawyers were assigned state lawyers and would not be attending court before declaring the verdict.
Qureshi countered that they cannot record his remarks because his lawyers are not present.
The decision was made one day after the hearing was postponed because of a disturbance caused by Qureshi and Imran in the courtroom.
Imran and Qureshi receive state attorneys
Since the defense attorneys had once again neglected to show up for court on Saturday, the judge had made the decision to assign state counsel to represent the PTI leaders.
Malik Abdul Rehman and Hazrat Younus were instructed to cross-examine the prosecution witnesses on behalf of Qureshi and the PTI founding chairman, respectively, as state defense attorneys, according to the court ruling.
But once more, the federal cabinet gave its approval to the summary of holding the politicians’ jail trial.
After then, the cipher trial was once again taken up by the special court, and on December 13, both PTI leaders were indicted again.
Imran and Qureshi were given post-arrest bail by the Supreme Court on December 22. Due to other cases, Qureshi was detained again in a new case, while Imran stayed behind bars.
Later, in response to a petition by PTI, Justice Miangul Hasan Aurangzeb of the IHC stopped the special court from taking any action against the accused until January 11.
On January 11, the IHC, however, invalidated all proceedings that took place after December 14, 2023, and set aside the orders pertaining to the in-camera trial.
