Former Prime Minister Imran Khan has been reserved under Section 5 of the Official Secrets Act 1923 in the cipher case. The case involves Khan’s deliberate abuse of a classified document, which contained a secret US string, for his political earnings.
Imran Khan had used the US cipher to produce a narrative against the establishment and opposition, and to divert public attention towards foreign involvement in a no- confidence stir against him.
Section 5 of the Official Secrets Act 1923 countries that anyone who communicates secret sanctioned canons, sketches, plans, documents, or information to unauthorized persons or uses similar information for the benefit of a foreign power or in any manner prejudicial to the safety of the state can be charged under this section.
The discipline for such an offense can range from imprisonment for two to fourteen times, and in some cases, indeed a death judgment . The case against Imran Khan gained soberness after his star clerk, Azam Khan, confessed that Khan had used the US cipher for political purposes and to forestall a vote of no- confidence against him.
Azam Khan stated that he handed Imran Khan with the cipher, and the former high minister had used it to produce a narrative against the establishment and opposition. The case highlights the legal counteraccusations and consequences of using classified information for political gain, especially under the Official Secrets Act.