Imran Khan, Shah Mahmood handed 10-year sentence in cipher case

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and ex-foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi have been given ten-year sentences of hard labor in the cipher case.

The case was heard today at Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi, by Judge Abul Hasanat Muhammad Zulqarnain. At the start, the accused, former prime minister and former foreign minister, faced questioning under section 342. During which, the PTI founder gave his statement under section 342 in court.

After the statement from the PTI founder, the court asked, ‘Mr. Khan, I just have one simple question for you. Where is the cipher?’ To this, the founder of PTI responded, ‘As I mentioned in my statement, I do not know. The cipher was in my office.’

At that moment, the judge declared, ‘Mr. Khan, Mr. Shah Mehmood Qureshi, please look at me. I hereby sentence each of you to ten years of imprisonment.’

After delivering the verdict, Judge Abul Hasanat Muhammad Zulqarnain got up and left the court, while PTI founder kept smiling after the verdict.

After the decision, Shah Mehmood Qureshi protested and said that my statement has not been recorded yet.

Judge Abul Hasanat Muhammad Zulqarnain of the court formed under the Official Secrets Act issued a brief verdict in the presence of the accused.

It should be noted that the said decision has been pronounced just 7 days before the general elections in the country.

Imran Khan and Shah Mehmood Qureshi are both leaders in jail, Imran Khan’s nomination papers were rejected, but Shah Mehmood Qureshi was allowed to contest for the National Assembly seat from Thar in Sindh, but today’s sentence means That these two leaders have been disqualified from contesting elections for the next five years.

It should be remembered that this is the second sentence given to former Prime Minister Imran Khan. He was also sentenced to three years in prison on August 5 last year in the Tosha Khana case. Later, the Islamabad High Court suspended his sentence. had done However, the division bench later rejected Imran Khan’s plea to suspend the sentence.

It should be noted that during the hearing that continued till late last night, the statements of all 25 witnesses in the cipher case against Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi were completed.

During the hearing, PTI founder and Shah Mahmood Qureshi were given a question paper, answers to 36 questions were sought in the question paper, before which the statements of 25 witnesses against the accused were recorded on January 23.