THE GUARDIAN: Former Pakistan prime minister condemns trial as ‘a joke’ amid crackdown on his political party in run-up to general election
Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan has been sentenced to 10 years in jail for leaking official secrets, amid a crackdown on his political party prior to upcoming elections.
The sentence is the harshest yet against Khan, who has been held in jail since August.
The case relates to a diplomatic cable that allegedly went missing while in his possession. Khan had publicly cited the cable as proof there was a conspiracy behind his fall from power in 2022 but had denied taking it from the ministry of foreign affairs.
The legal proceedings were highly unusual. They were held not in a courtroom but in the prison in Rawalpindi where Khan is being held, and were conducted behind closed doors, which Khan’s lawyers protested was unconstitutional. » | Hannah Ellis-Petersen, South Asia correspondent | Tuesday, January 30, 2024
