Pakistan's ex-Premier Imran Khan granted bail in state secrets case

ISTANBUL

Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday was granted bail in a high-profile state secrets case, as court declared him "innocent."

The Supreme Court also granted bail to his party colleague and former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the case, also known as the cipher case.

The case was heard by a three-member bench, headed by the acting chief justice, Sardar Tariq Masood.

The case is related to diplomatic communications between Washington and Islamabad, which Khan, 71, says was part of a US conspiracy to topple his government last year.

Justices Mansoor Ali Shah and Athar Minallah raised questions over the cipher case and inclusion of sections related to death sentence in the first information report against the former premier and foreign minister.

"The former prime minister has not been found guilty, he is innocent," Minullah said. There was "no proof that his statement benefited any other country."

Khan was accused of exposing official secrets when he waved a confidential diplomatic letter at a rally last year.

He and Qureshi, members of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, were twice indicted in the case.

On Oct. 27, Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Aamer Farooq rejected the bail plea of Khan and Qureshi.

Later, Khan's legal team approached the Supreme Court against the Islamabad High Court decision.

The former cricketer star-turned-politician, who is facing a string of cases, was ousted through a no-trust vote in April 2022.

He is currently incarcerated in the Adiala jail in eastern Punjab's Rawalpindi city after he was arrested in several cases including the cipher case.

Friday's court decision comes amid nominations for upcoming general elections slated for Feb. 8.

Early on Friday, the South Asian nation's poll body extended by two-day nomination period for prospective candidates to take stand for elections.

*Riyaz ul Khaliq in Istanbul contributed to this story.