Pakistan Government Appeals Acquittal of Imran Khan in Cipher Case

The Pakistan government has appealed to the Supreme Court against the acquittal of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case. Khan and Qureshi were previously sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment before being acquitted by the Islamabad High Court last week.

The Pakistan government on Thursday challenged in the Supreme Court the acquittal of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the high-profile cipher case.

The controversial case revolves around an incident where Khan displayed a piece of paper—alleged to be a diplomatic communication—during a public rally in Islamabad. He claimed it was evidence of a conspiracy by a foreign power, naming U.S. diplomat Donald Lu, against his government. This incident occurred just two weeks before the PTI government was ousted in April 2022 through a parliamentary vote of no-confidence.

Both Khan and Qureshi were sentenced to 10 years in prison in January after being tried by a special court established under the Official Secrets Act. However, last week, a bench of the Islamabad High Court led by Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb overturned their sentences on appeal and acquitted both officials.

The federal government swiftly moved to challenge the acquittal in the Supreme Court. They argued that the Islamabad High Court's decision was "perverse, arbitrary, and contrary to the material available on the record" and should be overturned. The plea criticized the High Court for allegedly failing to properly consider the evidence and the admissions of the accused, rendering the judgment unsustainable under the law.

As of now, the Supreme Court has not set a date for the hearing.

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