A Pakistani court declared illegal the jail trial of former prime minister Imran Khan on charges of leaking state secrets, his lawyer said. A special court has been conducting the trial on a jail premises citing security concerns since Imran Khan was indicted on the charges last month.
"Islamabad High Court has declared illegal the notification for jail trial," lawyer Naeem Panjutha said in a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
Imran Khan's legal team had challenged the law ministry notification that ordered the jail trial in charges related to a classified cable sent to Islamabad by Pakistan's ambassador in the United States last year. Imran Khan has been accused of making the cable public.
The former cricket hero was forced from office in 2022 after losing a no-confidence vote in parliament. At present, Imran Khan has had dozens of legal cases filed against him, which he has called an effort to keep him out of politics. He has been convicted in one graft case and sentenced to three years in jail.
{{/usCountry}}The former cricket hero was forced from office in 2022 after losing a no-confidence vote in parliament. At present, Imran Khan has had dozens of legal cases filed against him, which he has called an effort to keep him out of politics. He has been convicted in one graft case and sentenced to three years in jail.
{{/usCountry}}While, the sentence was suspended, Imran Khan remains in prison in connection with other cases.