Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan and former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi have been sentenced to 10 years in prison each for leaking state secrets in the cipher case. The verdict was announced by Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqernain of the Official Secrets Act special court on Tuesday.
The cipher case involves a secret diplomatic cable that was sent by Pakistan’s embassy in Washington in March last year. Khan and Qureshi had claimed that the cable contained a threat from the US to topple the PTI government, which was then in power in Pakistan. However, they later lost possession of the cable, which was deemed a violation of the Official Secrets Act.
The case was heard in Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, where Khan and Qureshi are currently lodged. The defence lawyers said they would challenge the verdict in the high court.
The sentence has sparked outrage among the supporters of PTI, who staged protests in various cities across the country. They accused the government of political victimization and demanded the release of their leaders. They also chanted slogans against the US and the judiciary.
The government, on the other hand, welcomed the verdict and said it was a victory of justice and the rule of law. It said that Khan and Qureshi had compromised the national security and dignity of the country by disclosing the confidential information. It also said that the verdict showed that no one was above the law in Pakistan.
The cipher case is one of the many cases that Khan and Qureshi are facing since they were ousted from power in a no-confidence motion in November last year. They are also accused of corruption, money laundering, and misuse of authority in various other cases.