Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan challenges password and Toshakana verdict

Jailed former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has challenged his verdict in the Crypto and Toshakana corruption cases in the Islamabad High Court.

A separate petition has been filed with the Islamabad High Court (IHC) through Barrister Ali Zafar against Khan’s judgment in the Toshakhana and cipher cases.

A petition in the Cipher (Secret Diplomatic Cable) case made Yousaf Naseem Khokhar, Minister of State and Home Affairs, a defendant in the case. It urged the High Court to quash the conviction and sentence and acquit him.

On January 30, 71-year-old Khan was sentenced to 10 years in prison by a special court for leaking sensitive state secrets.

The controversy first emerged on March 27, 2022, when Khan, speaking at a public rally less than a month before he was to step down in April 2022, waved a letter in front of a crowd claiming it was from A foreign code, in cahoots with his country. Political opponents overthrew his government.

Khan did not reveal the contents of the letter or name the country it came from. But days later he accused the United States of conspiring against him and claimed Mr Lew, the assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia, was seeking to remove him from office.

The code was about a meeting between Asad Majeed, the former Pakistani ambassador to the United States, and Lew.

Toshakana’s plea drew a response from the National and Accountability Bureau, which urged the international commission to suspend the execution of the cricketer-turned-politician’s conviction and sentence.

On January 31, Khan and his wife were each sentenced to 14 years in prison on corruption charges related to the illegal sale of state gifts.

The petition argued that the trial court made a hasty judgment and did not provide the suspect with a fair trial opportunity.

Khan, founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, was also disqualified from holding any public office for ten years.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from associated news agency – PTI)