The Cypher Case and Political Fallout in Pakistan
In Islamabad, Pakistan, a court has sentenced former Prime Minister Imran Khan and former Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi to 10 years in jail for their involvement in a case concerning the leaking of state secrets.
The special court, located in a prison in Rawalpindi, announced the verdict on Tuesday in what is known as the cypher case. This case revolves around a diplomatic cable that Khan alleges supports his claim that his removal from power in 2022 was orchestrated.
Under the Official Secrets Act, the court found Khan guilty of mishandling the confidential cable, which was sent by a former Pakistani ambassador to the United States. Khan has consistently denied the allegations, asserting that the document contains evidence of a conspiracy by his political opponents and the powerful military, aided by the US administration, to oust him from office. Both Washington and Islamabad have refuted these claims.
Khan served as Pakistan’s premier from August 2018 to April 2022, when he lost a parliamentary vote of confidence. He has been incarcerated since August last year on various charges, including those related to the cypher case. This sentencing of the country’s primary opposition leader comes just a week before the general elections scheduled for February 8.