Former Pakistani PM Imran Khan Receives 10-Year Jail Term for Leaking State Secrets
Just days before the national elections, a Pakistan court has sentenced former Prime Minister Imran Khan to 10 years in jail for leaking state secrets, marking the harshest penalty in a series of cases against the ex-cricketer. This conviction follows Khan's earlier three-year sentence in a corruption case, making him ineligible for the upcoming elections and keeping him out of the public eye leading up to the parliamentary vote.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party revealed that the special court found Khan guilty of divulging a classified cable from Pakistan's ambassador in Washington to the government in Islamabad. Khan argues that the secret cable in question is evidence of a conspiracy involving the Pakistani military and the U.S. government to topple his administration in 2022. Washington and the Pakistani military have denied these allegations.
The PTI has announced their intention to challenge the decision, with Khan's lawyer, Naeem Panjutha, stating on X, "We don't accept this illegal decision." The written verdict is expected later, but Khan's legal team claims that they were not given a fair chance to represent him during the trial. However the opposition, led by three-time Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's party, criticises the verdict, with Ahsan Iqbal, a senior Sharif aide, stating that it was a "very light sentence" for matters concerning national interests.
As the general election approaches, analysts have raised concerns about the credibility of the polls, especially with the timing of Khan's sentencing. The sentencing is seen by some as an attempt to diminish support for Khan, prompting his aide Zulfikar Bukhari to remark, "People will now make sure they come out and vote in larger numbers." His supporters, urged by Khan from his prison cell, are now faced with a renewed call to vote for his endorsed candidates, turning the election into a test of public sentiment.
