Former Prime Minister Imran Khan and ex-Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi have been acquitted by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in the cipher case after filing appeals against their prison sentences under the Official Secrets Act.
A two-member bench of the IHC, comprising Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Gul Hassan Aurangzeb, delivered the verdict, overturning the previous sentences.
As the judges returned to the courtroom, a police team formed a barrier in front of the rostrum, indicating heightened security measures.
Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi were sentenced to 10 years each in prison just days before the general election, accused of illegally retaining and communicating a classified diplomatic cable sent by Pakistan’s ambassador in Washington. Imran Khan had alleged that the cipher contained evidence of a conspiracy against him.
Although their sentences have been suspended, their release from Adiala Jail is unlikely due to their involvement in other pending cases.