A Pakistani court today extended the pretrial detention of former prime minister Imran Khan for 14 days to conduct an investigation into the allegations he leaked state secrets, his lawyer said. Naim Panjutha said the special court conducted the relevant proceedings at Attock prison, where Khan began serving his sentence on August 5. three years imprisonment for corruption imposed on him after he was found guilty of illegally selling government gifts he received when he was prime minister.
Court suspended the sentence on Tuesday and said Khan could be released on bail, but his release has been denied and he remains in custody on the state secrets case. The 70-year-old former captain of the national cricket team is accused in various cases after he was removed from the premiership after a vote of confidence in the parliament which he lost last year in April.
Khan denies any wrongdoing and says the charges against him are politically motivated. Khan’s supporters believe their leader was punished for having the courage to challenge the military, which dominates politics in the country. Pakistan and how the courts are being used to keep him out of parliamentary elections expected to be held later this year but may be delayed until early 2024.
While the sentence in the corruption case has been suspended, the conviction still stands, with the Election Commission having no reason to lift Khan’s ban from standing as a candidate in the election. Khan is charged under the Official Secrets Act with releasing the contents of a confidential cable sent by Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States and using it for political gain, according to a FBI case report seen by Reuters. His most senior adviser, former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, has already been arrested and questioned in connection with the case. Khan argues that the cable proves his removal was ordered by the United States, which he said pressured Pakistan’s military to topple his government because had visited Russia shortly before the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Washington and Pakistan’s military deny this.
Source: News Beast
With 6 years of experience, I bring to the table captivating and informative writing in the world news category. My expertise covers a range of industries, including tourism, technology, forex and stocks. From brief social media posts to in-depth articles, I am dedicated to creating compelling content for various platforms.
