Pakistani media has reported that a judge from a special court has deemed the trial process of Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister of the country, on charges of “disclosing government secrets” within the confines of a prison near Islamabad as illegal.
However, on Tuesday, November 21, a federal court in Pakistan ruled this action as unlawful.
In the court’s verdict issued yesterday, it was stated that Imran Khan’s trial was conducted within the prison in a manner that cannot be considered an “open court.” Imran Khan’s defense lawyers claimed that the trial of their client took place inside one of the prison rooms, with only two members of his legal team allowed to be present at the proceedings.
They further asserted that the media and members of Imran Khan’s family were not granted permission to attend the trial.
The charges against the 71-year-old Imran Khan date back to March 2022, accusing him of disclosing a confidential diplomatic memorandum. According to the allegations, Imran Khan claims that the United States conspired with the army of his country to overthrow his government.
In this case, he is accused of unlawfully disclosing classified information sent by the Pakistani ambassador to the United States, revealing it for political gains and against the country’s official secrets act.
Khan has long maintained that this disclosure serves as evidence that the motion of no confidence against him in his country’s parliament resulted from the interference of the United States in the politics of his nation.