Lahore

Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan and his close aide Shah Mahmood Qureshi have been handed a 10-year prison sentence in the cipher case, according to Pakistani media reports. 

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Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqernain of the Official Secrets Act special court presiding over the case delivered the verdict after conducting the proceedings at the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. 

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) chief and his aide were indicted in the cipher case by the special court, established under the Official Secrets Act 2023 after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) declared their jail trial null and void. 

The jail sentence against Imran and Qureshi comes a little over a month after the Supreme Court granted them bail in the case against surety bonds of Rs 1 million each. A few days later, Justice Miangul Hasan Aurangzeb stopped the special court from further proceedings till January 11, noting there were "legal errors" in the case. 

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Despite the repeated indictment and now the jail verdict, both have claimed innocence and alleged that "powerful people" behind the cipher case had made them the scapegoat.

Imran alleged that the trial was nothing less than a "joke" as both the prosecution and defence team belonged to the government. 

The verdict comes right before the February 8 general elections where Imran's party is contesting against a heavily armed state machinery that has taken away PTI's 'bat' electoral symbol.  

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Watch | Pakistan: Imran Khan and Mahmood Qureshi indicted again in Cipher case

The cipher case

Imran Khan faced allegations that he violated the Official Secrets Act when he disclosed a secret diplomatic cable, called the cipher. This was sent by Pakistan's embassy in Washington in March 2022. Khan reportedly lost possession of the diplomatic cable later.

Both Khan and Qureshi claimed that the cable had a threat from the US to topple the PTI government which was then in power in Pakistan.

Also read | Imran Khan remains disqualified from contesting elections after conviction appeal fails

Khan was ousted from the prime ministerial office in April 2022 after a no-confidence vote. Since being relieved of the premier post, more than 150 cases have been slapped against him.

Notably, the cipher case is Imran's second conviction after he was sentenced to three years in jail in the Toshakhana case in August last year. 

(With inputs from agencies)