Pakistani Court Indicts Imran Khan for Leaking Nation's Secrets, Further Troubles for Ex-PM

In a blow to Imran Khan's political future, a Pakistani court indicted him and Shah Mahmood Qureshi for leaking state secrets, impacting their chances in the upcoming federal elections. Khan had alleged a foreign conspiracy, using a diplomatic cable as evidence, leading to the current legal turmoil.

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A significant development emerged in Pakistan as a court indicted former Prime Minister Imran Khan and former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi for the leak of sensitive state information. The court proceedings, reported by Express News TV, dealt a severe blow to Khan's ambitions, especially concerning the upcoming federal elections.

Imran Khan's arrest in August, triggered by allegations of violating the Official Secrets Act, centered around a diplomatic cable transmitted by the country’s Washington embassy last March. The charge asserts that Khan misused this confidential information to construct a narrative suggesting foreign interference in his government's removal.

The court session convened at Adiala jail in Rawalpindi, with Special Court Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain presiding over the indictment. Both Khan and Qureshi, as reported by Geo News, entered a plea of not guilty against the charges levied upon them.

The crux of the case revolves around a cipher, a confidential document Khan presented at a public gathering, alleging a US-backed conspiracy aimed at his ousting. Contradictory to Khan's claims, US authorities consistently denied any involvement, dismissing his allegations as baseless.

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Azam Khan, Khan's former principal secretary, revealed details asserting that Khan strategically used the cipher to craft an anti-establishment narrative, despite misplacing the original document. The consequent actions fueled speculation and controversy surrounding the affair.

The federal cabinet under Shehbaz Sharif intervened in September 2022, forming a committee to investigate the leaked audio. Despite summonses by the FIA, Khan managed a stay order against further inquiries, prolonging the legal battle and political uncertainty in Pakistan.