A gathering is attended by Imran Khan's party supporters in Karachi before the general elections.
Written in London and Islamabad by Simon Fraser and Caroline Davies
Imran Khan, the former prime minister of Pakistan, was found guilty of leaking state secrets and was given a 10-year prison sentence.
Khan, who was removed from office as prime minister in 2022 by his rivals, is currently incarcerated for three years following his conviction for corruption.
He claims that every accusation made against him is motivated by politics.
The week before the general elections, in which he was ineligible to run, he was found guilty under the Secrets Act.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi, the deputy chairman of Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and a former foreign minister, was also given a 10-year prison term.
The alleged leak of classified diplomatic information transmitted by Pakistan's ambassador in Washington to Islamabad during Khan's prime ministership is at the center of the so-called cipher case.
It has to do with his March 2022 appearance at a rally, one month before the former cricket player was removed from office by a vote of no confidence in parliament. Upon taking the podium, Imran Khan waved a piece of paper that he said revealed a foreign plot against him.
After Imran Khan was arrested on May 9, his supporters organized protests across the country.
He clarified by saying, "If Imran Khan is removed from power, everyone will be forgiven." He didn't mention the nation, but he went on to criticize the US harshly.
The former prime minister's conduct amounted to disclosing a secret document and jeopardizing diplomatic ties, according to the prosecution. The last charge carries a potential life sentence or perhaps the death penalty.
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Ever since his detention in August, Imran Khan has spent the majority of his time in Adiala jail. The special court has been holding proceedings over the past few months, although attendance by international journalists has been prohibited.
The judge has reportedly been instructed to expedite the trial, according to the local media. A PTI official referred to the court decision as a farce and declared that it would be challenged.
Lawyer Naeem Panjutha, who is representing the former prime minister in numerous other court matters, tweeted on X (formerly Twitter) saying, "We don't accept this illegal decision."
According to a second Khan aide, his legal team was not given the chance to cross-examine witnesses or defend him.
A fair opportunity to campaign is allegedly being denied to the PTI, which is why the poll has been postponed until February 8.
Although many PTI leaders are currently in jail or have defected, the party's candidates must run as independents, and many are fugitives. The authorities deny carrying out a crackdown on the party.
Thousands of its supporters were also apprehended by police following the sometimes violent rallies that followed Imran Khan's initial detention in May of last year.
The party has also lost its cricket bat emblem, which is crucial in a nation with low literacy rates so that voters can mark their ballots wherever they see fit.