Imran Khan, the former prime minister of Pakistan, was charged with leaking state secrets on Thursday, which prevented him from running in the February national election. His attorney announced on Thursday that the trial would take place behind closed doors.
Imran Khan is accused of disclosing a classified cable that Pakistan's ambassador in Washington sent to Islamabad last year, which is the subject of the charges.
The choice was made at the beginning of the trial on the jail premises in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, according to attorney Naeem Panjutha, who made the statement on X (previously Twitter).
The attorney declared, "The plea to hold an in-camera trial has been accepted.”
Human rights organisations and solicitors contend that a closed-door proceeding falls short of the standards for a fair trial.
Attorneys warned that a guilty verdict under the Official Secrets Act in a case such as this could result in a 10-year prison sentence.
Imran Khan was indicted twice on the same charges, the first time around because an earlier indictment was overturned on procedural grounds by a higher court.