Former Pakistan captain, PTI Chairman Imran Khan received a 10-year jail sentence in the cipher case on Tuesday. Special court Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain announced the decision during the hearing at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.
Judge Zulqarnain has been conducting hearings of the case in Adiala Jail since it began last year. Along with Imran, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi also received the same sentence. Before delivering the verdict, Judge Zulqarnain reminded the PTI leaders during the hearing that their lawyers were not present in court and they were provided with state lawyers instead.
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The court also noted that Qureshi and Imran were given questions under 342, but Qureshi stated that his lawyers were absent, questioning how they could record their statements.
Both politicians pleaded not guilty to their involvement in the offense related to the alleged misuse of diplomatic cables for political purposes. The verdict came a day after the hearing was adjourned due to disruptions, with Imran and Qureshi losing their temper and shouting during the proceedings.
Imran Khan, a cricket legend, played 88 Tests and 175 ODIs for Pakistan during his illustrious career. His batting average of 37 and bowling average of 22 kept him among the top all-rounders of his time, alongside Ian Botham, Richard Hadlee, and Kapil Dev.
In his last 10 years of international cricket, Imran featured in 51 Tests, averaging an impressive 50 with the bat and 19 with the ball. He also led Pakistan to their first series victory in England in 1987, but his crowning achievement came when Pakistan won the 1992 World Cup under his inspirational leadership.
