Ex-Pakistani Prime Minister, Imran Khan, has been handed a 10-year prison sentence over accusations of revealing state secrets. Khan, who was removed from his role as PM in 2022 by rivals, is already serving a three-year sentence for corruption. He has dismissed all charges against him as politically driven. This conviction under the secrets act comes a week before general elections, from which he is barred from participating. Shah Mahmood Qureshi, the former foreign minister, was also given a 10-year sentence by the special court. The case is centered on the alleged leak of confidential diplomatic correspondence from Pakistan’s ambassador in Washington to Islamabad during Khan’s tenure as prime minister. Khan claimed the cable contained a threat from the US to overthrow his government and remove him, a claim the US has denied. Khan’s PTI party has declared it will contest the court’s decision, labeling it a “sham case”. The general election is scheduled for February 8, amid claims that the PTI is being hindered from campaigning by authorities. Khan has been incarcerated since August and is battling numerous legal cases.
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