Pakistan court says Khan's jail trial illegal: lawyer

A Pakistani court has declared the jail trial of former prime minister Imran Khan on charges of leaking state secrets illegal, his lawyer says.

A special court has been conducting the trial in jail citing security concerns since Khan was indicted on the charges last month.

"Islamabad High Court has declared illegal the notification for jail trial," said Naeem Panjutha, the lawyer, in a post on social media platform X.

Khan's legal team had challenged the law ministry notification that ordered the jail trial.

Imran Khan has denounced legal cases filed against him as efforts to keep him out of politics.

The charges against Khan relate to a classified cable sent to Islamabad by Pakistan's ambassador in the United States last year, which Khan is accused of making public.

Former cricket star Khan, who was forced from office in 2022 after losing a no-confidence vote in parliament, has had dozens of legal cases filed against him, which he has denounced as an effort to keep him out of politics.

He has been convicted in one graft case and sentenced to three years in jail.

The sentence was suspended but he remains in prison in connection with other cases.

License this article

Subscribe to AAPNews

To read this article (and many more) click on the Subscribe button below and gain access to AAPNews.

What is AAPNews?

For the first time, Australian Associated Press is delivering news straight to the consumer.

No ads. No spin. News straight-up.

Not only do you get to enjoy high-quality news delivered straight to your desktop or device, you do so in the knowledge you are supporting media diversity in Australia.

AAP Is Australia’s only independent newswire service, free from political and commercial influence, producing fact-based public interest journalism across a range of topics including politics, courts, sport, finance and entertainment.

The Morning Wire

Wake up to AAPNews’ morning news bulletin delivered straight to your inbox or mobile device, bringing you up to speed with all that has happened overnight at home and abroad, as well as setting you up what the day has in store.

Breaking News

Be the first to know when major breaking news happens.

Notifications will be sent to your device whenever a big story breaks, ensuring you are never in the dark when the talking points happen.

Focused Content

Enjoy the best of AAP’s specialised Topics in Focus. AAP has reporters dedicated to bringing you hard news and feature content across a range of specialised topics including Environment, Agriculture, Future Economies, Arts and Refugee Issues.

Subscription Plans

Choose the plan that best fits your needs. AAPNews offers two basic subscriptions, all billed monthly.

Once you sign up, you will have seven days to test out the service before being billed.

Full Access

AU$10

Enjoy all that AAPNews has to offer
Access to breaking news notifications and bulletins
Includes access to all AAPNews’ specialised topics

Join Now

Student Access

AU$5

Gain access via a verified student email account
Enjoy all the benefits of the ‘Full Access’ plan at a reduced rate
Subscription renews each month

Join Now

Annual Access

AU$99

All the benefits of the 'Full Access' subscription at a discounted rate
Subscription automatically renews after 12 months

Join Now

AAPNews also offers enterprise deals for businesses so you can provide an AAPNews account for your team, organisation or customers. Click here to contact AAP to sign-up your business today.

SEVEN DAYS FREE

Download the app