[ad_1]
ISLAMABAD — A Pakistani court on Tuesday sentenced former Prime Minister Imran Khan and one of his party deputies to 10 years in prison each, after finding them guilty of revealing official secrets. The verdict drew swift criticism from Khan’s followers.
It was also another blow to Khan, a former cricket star turned Islamist politician who was ousted in a no-confidence vote in Parliament in April 2022 and is currently serving a three-year prison sentence in a graft case.
According to Zulfiqar Bukhari, chief spokesman for Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, or PTI, the verdict was announced by a special court set up at the prison in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, where Khan is held. Authorities said Khan and his deputy Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who also received a 10-year sentence, have the right to appeal Tuesday’s ruling in the case, popularly known as the Cipher.
Khan’s legal team was planning to appeal the conviction before the Islamabad High Court on Wednesday.
The ruling comes ahead of the Feb. 8 parliamentary elections in Pakistan—a vote Khan is barred from running in because of his previous criminal conviction.
Read More: Pakistan Can Keep Imran Khan Out of Power, but It Can’t Keep His Popularity Down
Although he is not on the ballot, Khan remains a potent political force because of his grassroots following and anti-establishment rhetoric. He says the legal cases against him were a plot to sideline him ahead of the vote.
Pakistan has seen violent demonstrations after Khan’s May 2023 arrest and authorities have cracked down on his supporters and party since then.
Pakistan’s human rights commission has said there is little chance of a free and fair parliamentary election next month because of “pre-poll rigging.” It also expressed concern about authorities rejecting the candidacies of Khan and senior figures from his party.
More From TIME
The Cipher case is one of more than 150 cases against Khan. Other charges range from contempt of court to…
[ad_2]
