ISLAMABAD: Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in the missing cypher case.
The former prime minister’s judicial remand in the case is expiring tomorrow. The FIA will seek further judicial remand of the PTI chief in court regarding its probe in the case of the missing diplomatic cypher.
A special court recently established to hear cases under the Official Secrets Act has directed the Attock Jail authorities o keep Imran in “judicial lockup” and produce him on Aug 30 (tomorrow) in connection with the cipher case.
In a letter addressed to the Attock jail superintendent, Special Court Judge Abual Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain ordered to produce to produce Imran Khan for judicial remand in case.
The case pertains to a diplomatic document that reportedly went missing from Imran’s possession. The PTI alleges that the cypher contained a threat from the United States to oust Imran from power.
Proceedings against PTI Vice Chairman and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the same case are also underway.
Earlier today, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) suspended PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s conviction in the Toshakhana case.
A two-member bench comprising IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri announced the reserved verdict on the PTI chief’s plea against his sentence in the Toshakhana criminal case.
The court ordered to release the former prime minister on bail. He has been ordered to submit surety bonds of Rs100,000 to secure bail. The written order of the verdict will be announced soon, the IHC Chief Justice told the PTI chief’s lawyer Babar Awan.
PTI chairman’s aide on legal affairs Naeem Haider Panjotha said in a post on social media, “The CJ has accepted our request, suspended the sentence and said a detailed decision would be provided later.”
Meanwhile, the FIA has geared to arrest the former prime minister in the cypher case. The FIA team investigating the cypher case has formed six teams to arrest him.
Ahead of the verdict, the PTI chairman filed a petition to prevent arrest in any case. His lawyer Salman Safdar filed the petition and urged the court to restrain the FIA, NAB and police from arresting him.
On August 5, a district and sessions court sentenced Imran Khan to three years in prison after finding him guilty in the Toshakhana case. The court also imposed a fine of Rs100,000 and subsequently disqualified him from office for five years.
Last week, Supreme Court of Pakistan acknowledged “procedural defects” in Imran’s conviction but opted to wait for the IHC decision.
