Pakistan's former PM Imran Khan will remain in jail despite bail in cipher case -- Here's why

The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Friday granted bail to former Prime Minister Imran Khan and one of his aides in the alleged State secretes leak case. The decision of the apex court comes as a boost for the former PM, who is planning to enter the general elections fray scheduled for February this year. But, Imran Khan will continue to remain in jail as he faces multiple cases which also include one conviction under the Toshakhana case.

The bail in the State secrets case will still work positively for Imran Khan's campaign as the former PM has alleged that the powerful people behind the cipher case are being protected. “I ordered to initiate an inquiry into the matter when I was the prime minister,” Imran Khan said in a court during the bail hearing.

What is the cipher case?

Pakistan prosecutors claim that former PM Imran Khan and his foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi mishandled a diplomatic cable dispatched by the Pakistani ambassador to the United States. Imran Khan was accused of making some sensitive information public.

The legal proceedings for the purported offense initially transpired within the confines of the prison, and the trial commenced in a confidential manner. However, a legal challenge compelled the court to recommence the proceedings with the presence of observers.

What is the Toshakhana case?

Toshakhana is a repository of gifts given to Pakistan's government officials by foreign dignitaries during their tenure as the Prime Minister of the country. Imran Khan was accused of “deliberately hiding details about gifts.” The gifts include seven watches, with six being Rolexes and other things.

The matter came to light when the Election Commission of Pakistan alleged that Imran Khan concealed information about the gifts and disqualified the former PM in October 2022 for making “false statements and incorrect declaration”.

The case then went to the sessions court of Islamabad and in August this year, Imran Khan was convicted and sentenced to three years in prison in the Toshakhana case. The conviction debars the former PM from contesting in the upcoming elections, but Imran Khan denied wrongdoing and appealed the verdict in the higher court.

The politics of Pakistan became interesting when former PM Nawaz Sharif was allowed to come back to the country and the graft charges against him suddenly vanished. If the higher courts overturn Khan's conviction, he will go head-to-head against Nawaz Sharif.