In shocking news coming out from the world cricket, on January 30, a court in Pakistan issued a 10-year prison sentence to ex-prime Minister and cricket captain of Pakistan Imran Khan and one of his party colleagues. The verdict was based on their conviction for disclosing high official secrets.
This ruling dealt another setback to Khan, the former cricket icon turned Islamic politician, who faced removal via a no-confidence vote in Parliament in April 2022. Currently, he is serving a three-year prison term in a corruption case.
Zulfiqar Bukhari, the spokesperson for Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, stated that the court delivered the verdict at a prison in Rawalpindi. Khan and his deputy, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, both received 10-year sentences, have the option to appeal Tuesday’s ruling in the case, commonly referred to as the Cipher case.
The judgment comes just before the parliamentary elections in Pakistan scheduled for February 8. However, Imran Khan is ineligible to participate in the upcoming vote due to his prior criminal conviction.
The Cipher case is just one among over 150 cases that Imran Khan is currently facing. The spectrum of charges against him includes contempt of court, terrorism, and incitement of violence, among others.
