Title: Imran, Qureshi sentenced to 10-year imprisonment in cypher case
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Description:
The special court hearing the cypher case awarded former prime minister Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi 10 years imprisonment.
Presiding over the special court – set up under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) – Judge Abul Hasanat Zulqarnain announced the verdict during the hearing held within the premises of Rawalpindi's Adiala jail.
Before sentencing Imran, the judge asked the former premier one last time where the cypher was.
“I have mentioned in my statement that the Prime Minister House’s security was not my responsibility. I don’t have the cypher,” he stated.
The judge also provided the two PTI leaders with copies of the statement and the questionnaire under Section 342 and both accused were asked to write down their replies in the questionnaire.
After Imran and Qureshi recorded their statements under Section 342, the court announced its verdict.
The cypher
The case originated from Imran's public display of a paper during a rally in Islamabad on March 27, 2022, claiming it as evidence of an "international conspiracy" before a vote of no-confidence led to his government's ouster.
The FIA initiated its probe into the so-called “cypher-gate” on July 19, 2023, after the previous coalition government announced an official inquiry against Imran and his close associates for violating the OSA.
Imran was arrested on August 5, following his conviction in the Toshakhana case by a local court of Islamabad. Later, he was also arrested in the cypher case on August 29.
As per the challan papers, both Imran and Qureshi, the former foreign minister, were charged under sections 5 and 9 of the OSA. These provisions entail the possibility of the death penalty or life imprisonment.
Previously, the cypher trial had started inside the Adiala jail but an IHC division bench later annulled all those proceedings, ordering a fresh open court trial.
Published Date: 30-Jan-2024
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