RAWALPINDI, Pakistan – Former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is currently in jail, was officially charged on Monday with the alleged unauthorized disclosure of classified documents. This accusation carries a potential prison sentence of up to 14 years.
Since his removal from power last year, Imran Khan has been entangled in a series of legal cases, which he claims are strategically aimed at preventing him from participating in the upcoming elections scheduled for January 2024.
The popular politician had been imprisoned in August for corruption, but after his initial sentence was overturned, he was detained on the more severe charge of sharing confidential state documents.
Shah Khawar, representing Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), announced Khan’s indictment outside Adiala Jail, where he is currently incarcerated.
The case revolves around a cable that Khan presented as evidence of his removal being part of a US conspiracy supported by the influential military establishment, as per an FIA report. Both the United States and Pakistan’s military have denied these allegations.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi, the Vice-Chairman of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and a former foreign minister, has also been indicted in connection with the case.
According to a PTI spokesperson, both individuals face charges under the colonial-era Official Secrets Act and are being tried within the confines of a court without public or media access.
Umar Khan Niazi, Khan’s lawyer, stated that they intend to challenge these charges.
Khan’s legal team contends that the alleged offense could carry a maximum prison term of 14 years or, in the most extreme cases, even the death penalty.
Despite his considerable popularity in Pakistan, Khan’s confrontational stance against the powerful military establishment, which gained momentum after his removal from office, has met with a strong backlash.
Pakistan’s military has directly governed the country for a significant portion of its 76-year history and retains substantial influence.
A broad crackdown on Khan’s supporters resulted in the arrest of thousands of individuals, and a substantial portion of the senior party leadership was forced into hiding. Many later abandoned the PTI, criticizing Khan’s confrontations with the military.
According to political analyst Rasul Bakhsh Rais, Khan faces legal challenges, but the government’s intentions are clear: they aim to leave no room for his escape, irrespective of whether the charges are genuine or fabricated.
Currently, Pakistan is under the leadership of an interim government, with the elections postponed multiple times to January 2024.
Imran Khan’s primary political rival, three-time Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, returned to Pakistan over the weekend, ending his four-year self-imposed exile. Sharif had been imprisoned for corruption and was disqualified from participating in the 2018 elections, which Khan subsequently won. He left the country halfway through his sentence to receive medical treatment in the United Kingdom, ignoring court orders to return.
Before his return, a court granted Sharif fresh protective bail, enabling his arrival in Lahore, his political stronghold, over the weekend.
In Pakistan, the fortunes of political leaders often hinge on their relationship with the military, and the country’s courts are frequently employed to entangle lawmakers in protracted legal proceedings, which human rights organizations criticize for stifling dissent.
