Pakistan's top court orders Imran Khan released on bail in a corruption case. He won't be freed yet

Pakistan’s Supreme Court has ordered in a surprise ruling the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and one of his party deputies on bail in a case involving alleged corruption

ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan's Supreme Court ordered in a surprise ruling Friday the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and one of his party deputies on bail in a case involving alleged corruption.

Khan — currently serving a three-year sentence in jail in a graft case — won't be presently freed as he still faces two other corruption cases.

Friday's ruling, which Khan’s defense team viewed as a legal victory and a political boost, was issued over charges of the former premier revealing state secrets when he waved an allegedly confidential document, dubbed Cipher, last year at a rally following his ouster from power. The document has not been made public.

“The court's order is proof enough that the charges against Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi were fabricated,” said Khan’s lawyer Salman Safdar. Qureshi is a senior vice president at Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party.

Pakistan's government said the Cipher document was diplomatic correspondence between the Pakistani ambassador to Washington and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad. Khan confirmed the correspondence and insisted his ouster was a conspiracy by the United States, his successor Shehbaz Sharif, and the Pakistani military — accusations that they have all denied.