The charges dealt a new setback to the imprisoned leader’s prospects of participating in the upcoming federal elections next year.
Imran Khan, the ex-Prime Minister of Pakistan, makes a gesture.
On Wednesday, a Pakistani court formally charged former Prime Minister Imran Khan with the offense of disclosing state secrets, as reported by Express News TV. This development poses a new setback for the incarcerated leader’s prospects of participating in the upcoming federal elections next year.
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On Wednesday, a Pakistani court reportedly charged former Prime Minister Imran Khan with leaking state secrets, dealing a setback to his prospects in the upcoming federal elections. The indictment is linked to allegations that Khan disclosed information from a classified cable sent by Pakistan’s ambassador in Washington last year. The imprisoned leader has entered a plea of not guilty, asserting that the cable’s contents were already in the public domain through alternative sources, according to local media reports.
A conviction under the Official Secrets Act might lead to a maximum penalty of 14 years in jail or potentially even a capital punishment, according to legal experts.
This marks the second instance of Khan facing charges under the same accusations, as a higher court dismissed a prior indictment on technical grounds, citing a failure to adhere to the correct procedures.
Khan contends that the leaked cable serves as evidence of a collaboration between the Pakistan military and the U.S. government to overthrow his administration in 2022. This alleged plot, he claims, transpired following his visit to Moscow just before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Washington and the Pakistan military reject the accusations.
The popular ex-cricketer, now a politician, emerged victorious in the most recent general elections held in 2018.
Khan faces numerous legal challenges, which he criticizes as attempts to sideline him from politics. While he received a three-year jail term in one corruption case, the sentence has been put on hold. However, he is currently incarcerated due to other charges, such as inciting violence and a case involving official secrets.
Khan is still barred from participating in elections due to his corruption conviction. Yet, his legal team is actively seeking his bail and aims to overturn the ban. Nevertheless, his involvement in the official secrets acts case has diminished the likelihood of his release to actively engage in campaigning for his party before the elections.
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