[🇵🇰] Imran, Qureshi sentenced to 10 years in jail in cipher case

[TheNewb77]

Imran Khan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi sentenced to 10 years in jail in cipher case

PTI's Ali Zafar says verdict — which comes 9 days before the general elections — will be challenged in the Islamabad High Court.

www.dawn.com

A special court established under the Official Secrets Act on Tuesday handed both former prime minister Imran Khan and ex-foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi 10 years in jail in the cipher case.

The cipher case pertains to a diplomatic document that the Federal Investigation Agency’s charge sheet alleges was never returned by Imran. The PTI has long held that the document contained a threat from the United States to oust Imran as prime minister.

In December, the Supreme Court had approved the post-arrest bails of Imran and Qureshi. While Imran remained incarcerated in other cases, Qureshi’s expected release was also stalled as he was manhandled and re-arrested in a fresh May 9 case.

Days later, Justice Miangul Hasan Aurangzeb had restrained the special court from proceeding against the suspects — including Qureshi — till Jan 11, noting that there were “legal errors” in the case.

The special court had begun the cipher trial afresh last month at the Adiala district jail after Imran and Qureshi were indicted for a second time in the case on December 13.

The former premier and Qureshi, who is also behind bars, were first indicted in the case in October. Both had pleaded not guilty. The IHC had termed the government’s notification for a jail trial “erroneous” and scrapped the entire proceedings.

Last week, state defence counsels had been appointed due to the previously appointed ones who had agreed to conduct cross-examinations not appearing in the next two court hearings.

Imran had said the trial was nothing less than a “joke” because the prosecution and defence team both belonged to the government.

 

[Old School]

Imran's fate reminds me of a very ancient Chinese proverb.
"Riding the tiger, it is hard to get off."
Chinese proverb: 骑虎难下 (qí hǔ nán xià)
Once someone embarks on a dangerous path, turning back can be difficult. It's often easier to see it through to the end than to stop halfway. This story dates back to the Eastern Jin Dynasty. After the first emperor died, his son, Sima Yan, became the ruler. However, General Su, one of the leaders in his army, staged a coup and took control of the capital shortly after. Two governors in the area learned about the rebellion and joined forces to overthrow General Su and reinstate Sima Yan. This led to a long civil war in the region. After experiencing many discouraging defeats, one of the governors suggested to the other that it would be wise to withdraw from the war. However, the other governor argued that they couldn't stop fighting at this point since the war they were fighting was like riding a tiger. If they got off the tiger now, it would only turn around and attack them. The governors found strength in each other and defeated General Su together. Sima Yan was finally reinstated. This story illustrates a situation where quitting could lead to disastrous consequences.