On Tuesday, the ex-Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, got hit with a big legal blow. He got convicted for spilling state secrets, which landed him a 10-year jail term and a 10-year ban from any public office. The detailed verdict on Thursday explained how Khan’s leak of a secret diplomatic cable caused major trouble for Pakistan, messing things up economically, politically, and diplomatically.
The court found the 71-year-old guilty on four counts under the Official Secrets Act. He messed with a secret cable from Pakistan’s ambassador in Washington to the government in Islamabad, making it public. The judgment stressed how Khan’s actions hurt Pakistan’s economy and messed with national security.
Khan, the former cricket star, argued that the leaked cable was proof of a conspiracy by the military and the U.S. government to overthrow him in 2022. He visited Moscow just before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The U.S. and Pakistan’s military denied this.
This legal hit adds to Khan’s troubles, as he already got a three-year sentence in a corruption case in August (though it’s on hold). Plus, another 14-year sentence on graft charges, announced Wednesday, had already knocked him out of the upcoming elections. Despite these issues, Khan’s lawyer, Intezar Panjutha, criticized the judgment, saying it wouldn’t hold up in higher courts.
The political scene in Pakistan is getting messier with the conviction of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter before the 2018 elections. Back then, analysts thought Khan benefited from their convictions. Now, Sharif seems set to lead the next government. Both Khan and Sharif blame the military for their legal problems, but the army denies it.
The upcoming February 8 elections in Pakistan are getting more complicated, especially as the country is trying to bounce back from an economic crisis with a $3 billion International Monetary Fund bailout. Political stability is key for recovery, and these legal issues are just making things more challenging.