Imran Khan Says His 10-Year Sentence Is Part of 'False Flag' Scheme

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after a court found him guilty of revealing state secrets.

Khan, a former cricket star, was ousted from office following a no-confidence vote in April 2022 and he is currently serving a three-year prison term in a graft case. One of his deputies was also found guilty alongside him in the latest case, and he too was sentenced to 10 years behind bars.

Khan brandished a document, dubbed "cipher," during a rally after he was ousted from office. He alleged it was proof that his ouster was a U.S. conspiracy with forces inside Pakistan, but Washington and Pakistani officials have denied the allegations. Khan didn't reveal the exact contents, but the document was confidential, making it classified, and he was arrested for showing it off in public. Khan's party and supporters had feared the former leader could have been sentenced to death for treason.

Pakistan has seen violent demonstrations since Khan's arrest in May 2023, and the authorities have cracked down on his supporters and party.

Khan hit out against Tuesday's judgement on social media site X (formerly Twitter), with a lengthy post addressed to his supporters, saying (in translation): "These people want to provoke you by giving me a harsh sentence in this case so that you go out on the streets and protest, then add your unknowns to it and do another false flag operation in the style of May 9 to get those results."

He dismissed the trial, saying that "the whole building of this case has been built on lies, bullying, conspiracy and deceit."

This week's ruling comes ahead of parliamentary elections on February 8 — a vote Khan is barred from running in because of his previous criminal conviction.

Although Khan will not be on the ballot, he remains a powerful political force in the country due to his grassroots following and popular anti-establishment rhetoric. He alleges that the various legal cases against him are part of a plot to sideline him ahead of the vote.

Authorities said Khan and his deputy, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, have the right to appeal Tuesday's ruling.

Khan was alleged to have waved the cipher at a rally after he was ousted from office. While the contents of the document still haven't been made public by Khan, his legal team, or the government, the Associated Press reported that the cable was said to be diplomatic correspondence between the Pakistani ambassador to Washington and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad.

Khan claimed the contents of the document were proof of a U.S. conspiracy against him working with forces inside Pakistan.

He insisted he was innocent during the trial and pointed out that he didn't disclose the exact contents of the document. Qureshi was accused of manipulating the contents of a diplomatic cable to gain political advantage.

The trial was one of more than "150 cases" against Khan, AP reported. The other charges he faces range from contempt of court to terrorism and inciting violence.

Newsweek has reached out by email to representatives of the Pakistani government, seeking comment on the ruling and Khan's claims about the case.