The court announced on Monday that former Prime Minister Imran Khan will face indictment in the cipher case on October 17, marking the official commencement of the case against him.
The hearing was overseen by Special Court Judge Abdul Hasnaat Zulqarnain, with the presence of Prosecutor Zulfiqar Abbas Naqvi, Imran’s attorney Salman Safdar, as well as the daughter and son of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who is also a co-accused in the case.
During the hearing at Adiala jail, copies of the charge-sheet were distributed to Imran and Qureshi’s legal representatives. Imran’s legal team also had a brief meeting with him in the prison van.
Prosecutor Naqvi informed the court that all necessary copies had been provided to the court. Subsequently, the court issued instructions for all government witnesses to be summoned along with the charge-sheet on October 17.
Previously, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had alleged that the former PM had violated the Official Secrets Act of 1923 and should be punished accordingly. The charge-sheet also accused Shah Mahmood Qureshi of aiding Imran in this regard.
In the past week, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) rejected the FIA’s request for an in-camera hearing of Imran Khan’s bail application. The IHC Chief Justice ruled that the matter would be heard in an open court, but certain documents would remain confidential after consultation with counsel. The bail application hearing was scheduled for October 9.
The cipher case revolves around a diplomatic cable that reportedly went missing from Imran’s possession. Imran had repeatedly claimed that the cipher indicated a conspiracy to remove him from the prime minister’s office.
Imran was ousted through a vote of no-confidence in April 2022. He was imprisoned on August 5, 2023, after an Islamabad court sentenced him to three years in prison in the Toshakhana case. Although his sentence was suspended by the IHC, Imran was subsequently arrested in the cipher case and remained in the Attock jail on judicial remand. A special court was formed under the Official Secrets Act to try Imran within the jail premises. Shah Mahmood Qureshi, PTI Vice Chairman and former foreign minister, is also implicated in the case.
In the most recent hearing on September 26, their judicial remand was extended until October 10.
Imran’s counsel, Sher Afzal Marwat, expressed the former premier’s confidence in the country’s legal system. He criticized the treatment of Imran and the former foreign minister, stating that they were brought to court in a “small cage,” which he deemed inhumane.
Salman Safdar, Imran’s counsel in the cipher case, noted that Imran protested against the “inhuman” treatment he received at Adiala jail and demanded facilities in accordance with the jail manual. He emphasized that the trial should not be held in “closed rooms” because cipher cases cannot be heard that way.
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