Pakistan’s Imran Khan to face charges of exposing official secrets: Minister

Pakistan will open criminal proceedings against former prime minister Imran Khan on charges of exposing official secrets, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said on Wednesday.

The case is related to diplomatic correspondence which Khan said early last year was part of a US conspiracy to topple his government.

Washington has denied being involved in any such conspiracy.

Pakistan’s embattled former PM had earlier accused the powerful military and its intelligence agency of openly trying to destroy his political party, saying he had “no doubt” he would be tried in a military court and thrown in jail.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s ruling coalition is all set to dissolve parliament and hand over the reins to a caretaker government next month four days before it is constitutionally required to do so, in preparation for a general election by November, local media reported on Tuesday.

The elections are approaching after months of political and economic turmoil, with uncertainly even to the extent that the vote might be delayed for at least one year.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s coalition took over after his predecessor, Imran Khan, was ousted in a vote of no confidence in parliament in April 2022.

Ever since then, Khan has been campaigning for a snap election, organising protests across the country and raising tensions with the powerful military, which Khan accuses of plotting against him.