Pakistan's former PM Khan indicted in official secrets case
A Pakistani court officially indicted former Premier Imran Khan and his deputy in a case related to official secrets acts, according to his political party.
The charge pertains to a classified cable sent to Islamabad by Pakistan's ambassador in Washington early last year, with Khan facing allegations of making its contents public. However, Khan vehemently denies this accusation, contending that the information had already been disclosed by other sources in the media.
According to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Khan's political party, a special court indicted Khan and the PTI's deputy leader, former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Quershi. The party has stated that the case is set to commence on Friday and they intend to challenge the indictment.
Imran Khan has argued that the cable is evidence of a U.S. conspiracy to prompt the Pakistani military to remove him through a parliamentary vote in 2022. He claims this was due to his visit to Moscow shortly before Russia's invasion of Ukraine. However, both the United States and the Pakistani military have categorically denied such allegations.
Khan was compelled to step down from his position after losing a vote of no confidence in 2022. Following this, he led protests against the government, advocating for an early general election and accusing the military of attempting to sideline him. The military, which has wielded significant influence over civilian governments in Pakistan's history, has also refuted these claims.
Imran Khan has faced numerous legal cases, which he views as attempts to eliminate him from the political landscape. He has already been convicted in one corruption case and handed a three-year prison sentence.