Following a challenging legal battle, a Pakistani court acquitted former Prime Minister Imran Khan on charges related to his handling of a confidential intelligence cable, known as a cypher within the Pakistani government.
Khan’s acquittal by the Islamabad High Court is a significant win for him and his supporters, especially after a suspended sentence in a separate corruption case.
The court now has Khan imprisoned on one charge, pertaining to his marriage with his third wife Bushra Bibi being deemed “un-Islamic,” resulting in both serving seven-year sentences.
The court scrutinized Bibi’s menstrual cycle details during the hearing and ruling, rejecting her claim of three cycles passing between her divorce and marriage to Khan, relying instead on her ex-husband’s testimony.
When asked about the case, State Department spokesperson Matt Miller stated that it was not the concern of the United States and that the legal proceedings were for the Pakistani courts to decide.
Regarding the overturning of the cypher case, it was seen as a setback for the Pakistani government’s accusations against Khan, reinforcing the belief among his supporters that the charges are politically motivated.
Khan and ex-Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had previously received a 10-year prison sentence for allegedly mishandling the secret document, including Khan displaying a paper copy at a political rally.
The cypher has been a focal point of drama in Pakistan’s political landscape, with Khan asserting U.S. involvement in his ousting through the document, which was later leaked to The Intercept in 2023.
Since then, Khan and his supporters have been in conflict with the military, leading to crackdowns, violence, and a ban on Khan’s party, PTI. Despite Khan’s imprisonment, PTI-affiliated candidates performed well in elections tainted by fraud.
Most charges against Khan have fallen apart, except for the legal impropriety allegation in his marriage to Bibi.
The court ruling highlighted Bibi’s ex-husband’s attempts to prevent her from visiting Khan, along with his antisemitic conspiracy theories regarding her connections.
The ruling also mentioned the ex-husband’s complaint about being denied his right of “rujuh” to his wife after the divorce, claiming he was deprived of this right by the respondents.
Please rewrite the following sentence:
Original: The dog ran quickly through the park.
Rewritten: The dog sprinted through the park at high speed.
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