PTI founder chairman Imran Khan has been sentenced to 10 years in prison in the Cypher Case.

A special court on Tuesday also announced a 10-year jail sentence for the former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

The government had established the court under the Official Secrets Act. Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain heard the trial and announced the verdict. Both leaders have the right to appeal. The trial was held in Adial Jail Rawalpindi where both the leaders were imprisoned.

It is the second conviction of Khan who was earlier handed three years in jail in the Toshakhana case.

The former prime minister has rejected all the charges against him as fabricated and fake.

The court announced the Cypher case verdict nine days before the general elections. The PTI is facing severe difficulties in running the election campaign due to the state crackdown against workers. The Supreme Court of Pakistan has also denied it of the election symbol in a controversial verdict ahead of the February 8 polls.

PTI reaction:

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has appealed to the workers to remain calm. The party has also declared the trial as shameful and a joke.

Gohar said the party has full faith in top courts and filed the appeal against the trial court verdict. He said the sentence announced was a mockery of justice.

The social media which has the largest number of followers of the PTI also reacted strongly against the sentence.