Pakistan court indicts Imran Khan for leaking state secrets - media
The Hindu
Pakistani court indicts ex-PM Imran Khan on charges of leaking state secrets. Khan pleads not guilty, faces up to 14 yrs in prison or death sentence. Khan claims cable was proof of conspiracy by US & Pak military. Khan convicted in graft case, remains in prison, disqualified from elections.
A Pakistani court on December 13 indicted former Prime Minister Imran Khan on charges of leaking state secrets, several media channels reported, delivering a fresh blow to the jailed leader's chances of contesting next year's federal elections.
The charge is related to a classified cable sent to Islamabad by Pakistan's ambassador in Washington last year, which Khan is accused of making public.
He has pleaded not guilty to the charges, media organisations in the country reported. Khan has previously said contents of the cable appeared in the media from other sources.
A guilty verdict under the Official Secrets Act could bring up to 14 years in prison or even a death sentence, lawyers say.
It is the second time Khan has been indicted on the same charges after a superior court struck down an earlier indictment on technical grounds, saying the correct procedure had not been followed.
Khan says the cable was proof of a conspiracy by the Pakistan military and the U.S. government to topple his government in 2022 after he had visited Moscow just before Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Both Washington and the Pakistan military deny the charges.
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