Imran Khan Cleared in Secrets Case, But Remains in Jail

A court in Islamabad has cleared former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan of charges related to leaking state secrets. The court overturned Khan’s conviction and 10-year prison sentence in the so-called “cipher case.” This case involved Khan publicly sharing a diplomatic cable in 2022 when he was still Prime Minister. The court also acquitted Khan’s close aide, former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who had been convicted and sentenced along with Khan.

Remaining in Prison

Despite this favorable ruling, Imran Khan will remain in jail. He is currently serving other prison sentences related to separate cases against him. One of these cases involved charges that Khan’s marriage to his current wife Bushra Bibi in 2018 violated Islamic law. For this, Khan and his wife were sentenced to seven years in prison in February 2023.

Khan also faces corruption allegations from his time as Prime Minister from 2018 to 2022. He was convicted and sentenced to prison on charges of corruption and misuse of official resources. Khan claims all the cases against him are politically motivated by his opposition who forced him out of power in 2022.

The Cipher Case

The “cipher case” centered around a diplomatic cable or “cipher” that Khan had received from Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States in 2022. Khan alleged the cable contained evidence of a U.S.-led conspiracy against his government, working together with Pakistan’s military and opposition parties, to remove him from power.

Khan was criticized for publicly sharing details of the confidential diplomatic cable to gain political support. Authorities accused him of mishandling state secrets and not returning the official document. This led to Khan’s conviction and 10-year sentence by a special court, which has now been overturned.

Political Reactions 

Khan’s political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), welcomed Monday’s court verdict acquitting him in the cipher case. A PTI leader called it a victory against the government’s “malicious attempt” to brand Khan as a traitor.

However, the government indicated it may appeal the acquittal to Pakistan’s Supreme Court. A government spokesperson said prosecutors would review the judgment and could challenge it at the higher level if they find legal grounds to do so.

The Way Ahead

Now 70 years old, Imran Khan has been imprisoned since August 2022 as he faces multiple trials on various charges laid against him since his ouster as Prime Minister in April 2022. While he secured a legal win in the cipher case this week, Khan’s overall legal troubles are far from over.

His supporters continue to accuse the current government of using the courts and security agencies to punish Khan through what they call a “reign of vengence.” But the government maintains Khan was corrupt and violated laws during his tenure.

As the legal battles drag on, political tensions and divisions remain high in Pakistan over Imran Khan’s future role. The former cricket star turned politician still commands a large grassroots following, even as he fights the cases against him from behind bars.