Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, has been formally charged with leaking classified documents. The announcement was made by Shah Khawar, a representative of Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency, outside Adiala Jail where Khan is currently detained.
The charges stem from a cable that Khan claimed was evidence of a US-backed conspiracy involving the military establishment that led to his removal from office. Both the United States and the Pakistani military have refuted these allegations.
Khan, who is also a celebrated former cricketer, was initially sentenced to three years in prison on corruption charges in August. However, his sentence was later overturned and he was retained in custody on the more severe charge of disseminating state documents.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi, the vice chairman of Khan’s political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and a former foreign minister, has also been charged in connection with the case. According to Khan’s legal team, the charges carry a maximum prison term of 14 years.