Imran Khan and Ex-Foreign Minister Qureshi Acquitted in Pakistan Cipher Case

In a significant legal victory for Imran Khan, a top Pakistani court has acquitted the former Prime Minister and his ex-Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the high-profile “cipher case”.

In January 2023, Khan and Qureshi had been sentenced to 10 years in prison by a special court in Islamabad for allegedly mishandling a diplomatic cable, or “cipher”, that Khan had previously brandished at a public rally. Khan had claimed the cipher was evidence of a foreign conspiracy to oust his government.

However, on June 3, 2024, the Islamabad High Court overturned that conviction, fully acquitting both Khan and Qureshi. Chief Justice Amir Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb delivered the ruling.

The cipher case stemmed from an incident in 2022, just prior to Khan’s removal as Prime Minister through a no-confidence vote in Parliament. At the time, Khan had displayed what he said was a copy of a diplomatic communication, alleging it showed proof of a US-led conspiracy against his government.

Both Khan and Qureshi had challenged the initial conviction in the high court. The Federal Investigation Agency had filed the cipher case in August 2022, accusing the two leaders of violating secrecy laws in their handling of the diplomatic cable.

This acquittal marks a significant legal victory for Khan, who has been facing a slew of charges since his ouster as PM in 2022. Separately, on June 4, 2024, a Pakistani court also acquitted Khan and other top leaders of his party PTI in two cases related to vandalism during an anti-government protest march last year.

The 71-year-old Khan, a former cricketer-turned-politician, has been in jail since August 2023 after being convicted in some of the nearly 200 cases filed against him since his removal from office in 2022. This latest court ruling is seen as a major reprieve for the embattled former Prime Minister.