Pakistani court acquits ex-Premier Khan in state secrets case

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - A Pakistani court on Monday acquitted former Prime Minister Imran Khan in a case that accused him of leaking state secrets.

A two-judge bench of the Islamabad High Court led by Chief Justice Aamer Farooq, in a brief verdict, also exonerated Khan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who was a co-accused in the case.

A trial court had sentenced the two to 10 years in jail in the case commonly known as “cipher case.”

The case is related to diplomatic communications between Washington and Islamabad, which Khan said was part of a US conspiracy to topple his government two years ago.

Khan, who came to power in 2018, lost a vote of confidence in parliament in April 2022, one year short of completing his term.

He is currently incarcerated in an illegal marriage case along with his wife. His conviction in a corruption case was set aside by the same court last year.