Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan (file photo)
Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan has been sent to judicial custody for two weeks in the cipher case. Only yesterday the Islamabad High Court had suspended the three-year sentence given to Imran Khan in the Toshakhana case and ordered his release. But it is not possible for him to come out of jail after being kept in custody in the cipher case. In a big relief to former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan ahead of the general elections, the Islamabad High Court on Tuesday stayed his conviction and three-year jail term in the Toshakhana corruption case.
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The court also ordered the release of Imran from jail. But due to the hearing of a case against him under the Official Secrets Act, he will have to remain in jail for now. This much-awaited decision was given by the division bench of Chief Justice Aamir Farooq and Justice Tariq Mahmood Jahangiri. The division bench had reserved its decision on Monday after hearing the arguments of both the parties on Imran’s petition challenging the lower court’s decision in the case. Justice Farooq said, “Right now we are only saying that (Imran’s) application has been approved.”
Imran’s Tehreek-e-Insaf party (PTI) said in a brief WhatsApp message, “The Islamabad High Court has stayed the district court’s decision. The court had also ordered the release of Imran (70) on a surety of Rs 1,00,000. Cricketer-turned-politician Imran and his family were sentenced to three years in prison after being found guilty of illegally selling state gifts received during his tenure as prime minister between 2018 and 2022.
The sessions court had also banned the PTI chief from taking part in political activities for the next five years, due to which he cannot contest the upcoming elections. Imran challenged the lower court’s decision in the Islamabad High Court.
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