ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – Pakistani authorities have initiated a criminal inquiry against imprisoned ex-prime minister Imran Khan on charges of disclosing state secrets. This follows the naming of Khan and three aides in a new case, revealed by a high-level security source on Monday.
The ongoing investigation revolves around a classified cable transmitted to Islamabad by Pakistan’s envoy in Washington early last year. Allegedly, Khan made this cable public, sparking this legal scrutiny.
The former cricket star, aged 70, contends that the cable is a component of a U.S. plot to sway the Pakistani military into removing him through a no-confidence parliamentary vote in 2022. This purported scheme emerged due to his visit to Moscow ahead of Russia’s actions against Ukraine. Both the U.S. and the military reject this assertion.
Presently, Khan serves a three-year term in a corruption case and has a five-year political ban.
A security source leading the investigation stated, “We are accumulating evidence to build a case for prosecuting Imran Khan on the charge of divulging official secrets.”
No comments were provided by Khan’s party’s information secretary, Rauf Hasan.
However, his close associate, Zulfi Bukhari, argued that accusing Khan under these charges would be unconstitutional, citing controversy around recent amendments to the legislation, as President Arif Alvi stated he hadn’t signed them, despite them being obligatory.
Khan has been formally apprehended concerning the allegations, currently being probed by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), according to the source.
Among the three aides implicated in the case, former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi was arrested on Saturday. On Monday, he was remanded in FIA custody for four days, as confirmed by his attorney, Intazar Panjutha.
According to a copy of the FIA case obtained by Reuters, Khan and his aides supposedly divulged classified materials to unauthorized individuals while “twisting the facts” to serve hidden agendas and personal interests.
The Official Secrets Act of Pakistan stipulates that conviction could result in imprisonment ranging from two to 14 years or even capital punishment, legal experts suggest.
The case asserts that Khan exploited the confidential document to promote his self-interest at the expense of national security. It further accuses the former premier of unlawfully retaining a copy of the classified cable.
Since his removal, Khan has remained a central figure in the political landscape, facing nationwide protests and grappling with over 100 legal cases against him.
(Reported by Asif Shahzad; Modified by Devika Syamnath)
Credit: The Star : News Feed
