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- January 30, 2024
- Kainat Shakeel
- 0
After disclosing state secrets in the cipher case, former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan and foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi were both given ten years in prison. On Tuesday, the Official Secrets Act special court’s Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqernain declared the finding.
In March of last year, Pakistan’s embassy in Washington transmitted a covert diplomatic cable that is at the center of the cipher case. At the time, the PTI administration was in power in Pakistan; Khan and Qureshi had alleged that the cable contained a threat from the US to overthrow them. As a result, it was determined that they had violated the Official Secrets Act when they abandoned the wire.
The Adaila Jail in Rawalpindi, where Khan and Qureshi are detained, hosted the court hearing. Defense lawyers declared to go to the Supreme Court for review. PTI supporters were so furious by the punishment that they structured protests across the country in quite a few locations. They said that the government was politically prosecuting them and demanded the release of their leaders. They also cried out anti-judicial and anti-US chants.
The government stated that it was a victory for justice and the rule of law while applauding the result. Because Khan and Qureshi revealed the sensitive material, it was claimed that the integrity and security of the nation had been jeopardized. The verdict demonstrated that nobody in Pakistan was above the law it was added.
Following their removal from office in November of last year due to a no-confidence motion, Khan and Qureshi are currently dealing with several cases, including the cipher case. They are also charged with money laundering, corruption, and abuse of authority in numerous other cases.