Open trial of jailed former Pak PM Imran Khan to be held on Friday

A Pakistani court has ordered the open trial of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan inside the jail premises, which will be open to the media and public.

The special court in Islamabad said that Khan’s trial on charges of leaking state secrets will start afresh on Friday, his lawyer said, according to Reuters news agency.

The court’s order was in response to the documents submitted by the government which sought the trial inside the jail premises citing threats to his life.

Court takes note of threat to Khan's life

"Threat assessments, particularly in the present case, where one of the accused is a former prime minister cannot be disregarded lightly by this court,” the order stated on Tuesday (Nov 28).

The open trial will be held at Adiala Jail premises, about 34 km (21 miles) from the capital Islamabad, where Khan has been jailed since the end of September.

Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain said that five family members of Khan, and former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi who is also an accused in the case, will be allowed to attend the proceedings along with the public and media.

The trial of the state secret case, also called the cypher case, was being held in jail but the Islamabad High Court last week declared it illegal.

Case pertains to leaking of state secrets 

The case pertains to a diplomatic cable – or cypher – sent to Islamabad by a former Pakistani ambassador to the United States, which substantiates Khan’s claims that his removal from office last year was orchestrated by his political opponents and the Pakistani military in collusion with the US.

The US and Pakistani authorities reject the charge.

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The 71-year-old cricketer-turned-politician has been embroiled in political and legal battles since he was ousted as prime minister in April 2022. He was jailed for three years in August for unlawfully selling state gifts while in office from 2018 to 2022.

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After the graft conviction, the country’s poll body later imposed a five-year ban on Khan contesting elections.

Khan, however, denies any wrongdoing and has said all the charges against him, including the graft case and the leak of the cable, were manufactured at the behest of the military to prevent him from participating in the Feb 8 general election.

(With inputs from agencies)