Ex-Pakistan PM Imran Khan gets 10 yrs in jail in 2nd case, faces 150 more cases
Hindustan TimesNEW DELHI: A Pakistan court on Tuesday gave a 10-year prison term to former prime minister Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi for leaking confidential state information in what has come to be known as the “cipher case”. Pakistan’s former PM Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi have been sentenced to 10 years in jail for leaking a diplomatic cable received from the Pakistan embassy in Washington The verdict, which has been delivered nine days ahead of the February 8 general election, is expected to further affect the prospects of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party. Both leaders were present in the special court, which was established under the Official Secrets Act to prosecute Khan and Qureshi for leaking a diplomatic cable received from the Pakistan embassy in Washington. Following his removal from office in the no-confidence motion in the National Assembly or lower house of Parliament, Khan leveraged the cable’s contents to claim a US plot against his government, sparking political protests and widespread unrest during which PTI workers targeted army facilities and installations.