In the cipher case, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi and former captain Imran Khan were both given 10-year prison sentences on Tuesday. The announcement was made by special court Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain during a hearing held at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. Judge Zulqarnain, who has been overseeing the case since its initiation last year, reminded the PTI leaders that their lawyers were absent and state lawyers were provided.
The court noted that both Imran and Qureshi were given questions under 342, but Qureshi argued that without his lawyers present, recording their statements would be impossible.Regarding their suspected involvement in the improper exploitation of diplomatic cables for political ends, both MPs had entered not guilty pleas.
The decision came after a tumultuous hearing the previous day, when Imran and Qureshi’s shouts forced the adjournment of the proceedings. Imran Khan, renowned for his cricket career, played 88 Tests and 175 ODIs for Pakistan, maintaining impressive averages of 37 with the bat and 22 with the ball. Notably, he led Pakistan to their first series victory in England in 1987 and achieved the pinnacle of his career with the 1992 World Cup trophy.
