Pakistan's Supreme Court has granted bail to former Prime Minister Imran Khan and former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who were in custody on charges of violating the Official Secrets Act, as reported by the Dawn newspaper.
The unexpected decision from the apex court occurred during the trial at the Adiala District Jail, where Khan and Qureshi were re-charged for the violation of the Official Secrets Act. The charges were initially filed against them in October in a closed-door session of a special court. However, in November, the Supreme Court deemed the trial on prison grounds illegal and erroneous, leading to the cancellation of the trial. Subsequently, the special court resumed the trial with the defendants being re-tried in an open trial with public and journalistic access.
If found guilty of violating the state secrets law, individuals face penalties of up to 14 years in prison or even the death penalty, according to legal experts. Both Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) accuses Khan and Qureshi of violating the state secrets law by "using a diplomatic cipher of the Foreign Ministry for political purposes" and "disclosing the contents of a secret document to unauthorized persons for personal gain at the expense of state security interests." The investigation was initiated after Khan publicly claimed on March 27, 2022, to have received an encrypted telegram from Pakistan's ambassador to Washington, stating that US representatives recommended the removal of the prime minister from power due to his pro-Russian stance on Ukraine, as demonstrated during his visit to Moscow in February 2022.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS