Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was sentenced to ten years in prison for a case of disclosure of classified documents, a few days before the elections, which his party is approaching very weakened.
The judgment was delivered in Adiala prison, where Imran Khan, who faces charges in dozens of cases and was declared ineligible for five years, has been incarcerated almost since his arrest in August.
This conviction comes less than ten days before the legislative and provincial elections of February 8, the campaign of which was marred by accusations of fraud and repression against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the party he founded .
“You must take revenge for every injustice with your vote on February 8,” Imran Khan told voters in a statement posted on his X account (formerly Twitter).
“Tell them that you are not sheep who can be led to the stick,” he added.
The former head of government and Shah Mahmood Qureshi, his former Minister of Foreign Affairs and number two in the PTI, were sentenced to ten years in prison, several PTI officials announced.
At the heart of this affair: a diplomatic cable from the Pakistani ambassador to the United States, which Imran Khan presented as proof of an American plot against him, supported by the Pakistani military. The United States and the Pakistani military have denied the claim.
Imran Khan was charged in October under the Official Secrets Act, which dates from the colonial era. The trial was held in Adiala prison, in the presence only of his lawyers, a few relatives and a few journalists.
Paralyzed before the vote
The PTI denounced “a travesty of justice” and announced its intention to appeal.
A PTI lawyer, Salman Safdar, told AFP that Imran Khan’s legal team was not allowed to assist him throughout the trial. “It is unconstitutional and contrary to the very principle of justice,” he lamented.
Imran Khan, a former star cricketer who came to power in 2018, was ousted by a no-confidence motion in April 2022, after losing the support of the all-powerful military, analysts say.
He has since accused the military establishment of being at the origin of his legal troubles and of wanting to prevent him from taking over the head of the country.
He still enjoys strong popularity, but his campaign of defiance against the army was followed by a severe backlash.
His arrest last May provoked the ire of his supporters, who sparked violent demonstrations. The authorities responded by massively arresting PTI supporters and leaders.
The party found itself paralyzed in the run-up to the vote: its rallies were effectively banned, its electoral symbol was banned and dozens of its candidates were not allowed to run.
“Express your anger with your report card”
Imran Khan’s conviction was reported by local media on Tuesday, but state television, implementing unofficial censorship measures against him, was careful not to use his name.
During the campaign, the PTI was largely ignored by the media and had to rely on social media. But internet outages disrupted his attempts to hold meetings online.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where the PTI clearly won the last provincial elections, voters said Tuesday’s decision would further strengthen support for Imran Khan.
“If he was in a coffin instead of in prison, I would still vote for him,” said Inayatullah Khan, a 33-year-old welder in the city of Peshawar.
This conviction “will only encourage voters to express their anger with their ballot,” also wanted to believe Alif Rahman, a pharmacist.
The party of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif — who was head of government three times without ever completing any of his mandates — the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N), is the favorite in the elections, which were initially scheduled to take place in november.
Nawaz Sharif returned to Pakistan in October after four years of exile in London. Some political analysts believe that he made an agreement with the military, whom he accused until recently of having ousted him from power in 2017 to favor Imran Khan’s electoral victory a year later.
The military has been in power for nearly half of the country’s 75-year history and continues to wield considerable political influence.