According to Pakistani media reports, former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his close associate Shah Mahmood Qureshi have been sentenced to 10 years in prison in the zero case. The special court under the official Secrets Act, presided over by Justice Abul Hasnat Julkarnain, delivered the verdict in Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) had declared the PTI chief and his associates innocent in the zero case after the Special Court established under the Official Secrets Act 2023 found them guilty. The sentence comes over a month after the Supreme Court granted them bail in the bail bond case of 1 million rupees. However, the proceedings were halted until January 11 by justices Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, citing "legal flaws" in the case.
Despite repeated allegations and the prison sentence, both have maintained their innocence, claiming they were made scapegoats by "powerful individuals" behind the zero case. Imran stated that the case was nothing short of a "joke" as the accusers and the defense team were both linked to the government.
This decision comes just before the general elections on February 8, where Imran's party is challenging the incumbent regime vigorously, having lost the PTI's electoral symbol. Imran Khan faced accusations of violating the Official Secrets Act when he exposed a secret political cable sent by Pakistan's embassy in Washington in March 2022. Khan allegedly lost control of the political cable later.
Khan and Qureshi said the cable could jeopardize the PTI government in Pakistan, which was in charge at the time. Following a vote of no confidence in April 2022, Khan was removed from the position of Prime Minister. Since then, there are 150 cases filed against him.
Notably, this is Imran's second sentence in the zero case after being sentenced to three years in prison in the Toshakhana case last August.
