RAWALPINDI - A special court established under the Official Secrets Act has deferred the indictment of former premier Imran Khan and ex-foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case till today.
The cipher case pertains to a diplomatic document that the Federal Investigation Agency’s charge sheet alleges was never returned by Imran. The PTI has long held that the document contained a threat from the United States to oust Imran as prime minister. Imran and Qureshi were initially indicted in the case on October 23, however, they had pleaded not guilty. Last month, Special Court Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain had ruled that the trial proceedings would continue at the Adiala Jail but in an open court.
Yesterday’s hearing was attended by family members of the PTI leaders. FIA’s special prosecutors Shah Khawar and Zulfikar Abbas Naqvi were also present in the courtroom while Barrister Salman Safdar appeared as Imran’s counsel and Barrister Taimur Malik as Qureshi’s lawyer.
A few reporters were allowed inside the courtroom to witness the proceedings.
As the hearing began, the PTI lawyers submitted six separate petitions in the court pertaining to incomplete documents in the case challan, media access and jail trial notification. They contended that a selected number of media persons were allowed to attend the hearing while a majority of journalists were waiting outside the Adiala Jail. The judge remarked that the matter was an “administrative issue” and would be seen by the court. “We have given relief by going out of the way,” he added. Meanwhile, Safdar argued that the proceedings were being conducted in a “hasty manner”, adding that the PTI had challenged two verdicts issued under the Official Secrets Act in the IHC.
However, the FIA prosecutor highlighted that the high court had not stopped the special court from conducting the proceedings. He also urged the court to complete the indictment process. Here, Judge Zulqarnain said he would take all the decisions on the basis of merit, adding that he was hearing the case neutrally.