New Delhi: Former Pakistan prime minister, also Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief, Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi were on Tuesday handed 10 years in jail in the cipher case by a Pakistan court.
What is the cipher case?
The case is related to a diplomatic document. Pakistan’s federal investigation agency alleges that Imran Khan never returned it. The former prime minister has maintained that the document contained a threat from the US to oust Imran Khan when he was in office.
A Pakistan special court began the cipher trial anew last month at the Adiala district jail. Imran Khan and Shah Mehmood Qureshi were indicted for the second time in this case on December 13.
The former prime minister and foreign minister of Pakistan, both of whom are currently jailed, faced initial charges in the case in October but pleaded not guilty.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) declared the government’s jail trial notification as “erroneous” because of which the entire proceedings were scrapped. New state defence counsels were appointed after the former defence counsels failed to appear for the subsequent court hearings. Imran Khan criticised the trial, labelling it a “joke” highlighting that both the prosecution and defence teams were affiliated with the government.
The PTI reacted on social media site X with a post saying that Pakistan stands with both Imran Khan and Shah Mehmood Qureshi. “Pakistan stands with Imran Khan and Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who defended Pakistan and stood for Haqeeqi Azadi. No such sham trial can change what happened in March- April 2022, on the orders of Donald Lu. This sentence will be in dustbin in appeal stage,” the party said.
Pakistan stands with Imran Khan and Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who defended Pakistan and stood for Haqeeqi Azadi.
No such sham trial can change what happened in March- April 2022, on the orders of Donald Lu.A complete mockery and disregard of law in the cipher case shall not lead… https://t.co/y3lmuEIN85
— PTI (@PTIofficial) January 30, 2024
