Despite the acquittal, Khan will remain in prison, having also been convicted in another case relating to his marriage to his third wife, Bushra Bibi, contravening Islamic traditions.
According to Pakistan's National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Imran and his wife received 108 gifts from different heads of states and foreign dignitaries, outr of which they retained 58 gifts worth Rs 142 million. The couple were sentenced on January 31 days before the general elections.
Imran's plans in the general elections hang in balance as the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had earlier disqualified him for five years, finding him guilty of corrupt practices and his trial court conviction. The elections will be held in February 8, 2024.
The in-prison hearing of Khan, 71, and Qureshi, 67, began from the start on Saturday after a ruling by the Islamabad High Court last month declared the jail trial illegal on procedural grounds and also nullified its proceedings.
An accountability court in 2018 sentenced Nawaz to 10 years for owning assets beyond known income, with an additional year for non-cooperation with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). Nawaz was declared a proclaimed offender in 2020 when he left for London on medical grounds.
Imran Khan and his deputy Shah Mahmood Qureshi were indicted in the cipher case by a special court on October 23, although both of them denied the charges. Last year, the former Pakistan PM brandished a 'cipher' alleging the US of orchestrating the fall of his government.
A court established under the Official Secrets Act had announced on October 9 that Imran Khan and his deputy Shah Mahmood Qureshi would be indicted in the cipher case on October 17 (Tuesday).
Earlier in August, Khan was sent to jail after he was convicted in the Toshakhana case. Although he got bail, he was again arrested in the Cipher case.
A trial court in Islamabad convicted and sentenced the 70-year-old Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman to three years in prison on August 5.
Earlier on August 5, a trial court in Islamabad had convicted him in the case filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) that involved concealing details of state gifts and jailed him for three years.
On May 10, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan was indicted in the Toshakhana case by Additional Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar, who dismissed protests about the admissibility of the case.
Thousands of supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party ransacked and set ablaze military and civilian buildings after party chief Khan was arrested from the Islamabad High Court in a case of alleged corruption.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan will appear before the court in Islamabad on May 23 to join the probe in the Al Qadir trust case.
Islamabad Protest: The ruckus on Imran Khan is not taking the name of ending. A massive protest is going on in Islamabad at the moment. A big protest has been announced outside the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
Notably, Sharif's statement came nearly 18 hours after a high court in Islamabad granted broad protection from arrest in multiple legal cases against him
Pakistan: The Islamabad High Court on Friday granted Pakistan's ex-PM Imran Khan protective bail for two weeks in a corruption case.
This has never happened in the history of 75 years of Pakistan..Army establishments in Pakistan have a great reputation. There has been an image of the army, after the arrest of Imran, neither the uniform of the army nor the buildings of the army has been respected.
High voltage drama is going on in Pakistan. On one side there is Imran-Awam and the court, on the other side there is government and army. The scene is changing every moment. A while ago, there were chances of Imran being arrested, but the court has prohibited him from being arrested in any case.
The latest government action came nearly 24 hours after massive protests broke out in several key locations including Lahore and Rawalpindi, where protestors targeted defence bases and police vehicles.
Pakistan Army Arrests Imran Khan: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Imran Khan has been arrested outside the Islamabad High Court. It has been told that he has been arrested by Pak Rangers.
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