ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday nullified the notification – issued on August 29 -for conducting former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s jail trial in the cipher case.
A division bench of the IHC, comprising Justice Miangul Hasan Aurangzeb and Justice Saman Riffat pronounced the reserved verdict.
It is worth noting that while the PTI chief’s sentencing in the Toshakhana case was suspended by the IHC on August 29, jail officials were instructed to keep Imran in “judicial lockup” in the cipher case by a special court created under the Official Secrets Act.
Imran’s intra-court appeal was deemed valid by the IHC division bench, which included Justices Saman Rafat Imtiaz and Muhammad Ul Hassan Aurangzeb. Additionally, the court maintained the ruling of Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain, who is trying Imran in accordance with the Official Secrets Act.
The court said that the notification issued by the law ministry on November for Imran’s jail trial was no longer applicable.
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.
The former premier and his aide Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who is also behind bars, were indicted in the case on Oct 23. Both have pleaded not guilty.
Imran’s plea against the indictment was dismissed by the IHC, which also directed the special court judge to guarantee a “fair trial.” The PTI chief’s trial court hearings were suspended last week while his intra-court appeal was being heard by the court.
The IHC requested the judge’s appointment record from the prior hearing in order to conduct the case’s jail trial. Additionally, the court had mandated that the registrar show the IHC administration the letter Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain had written requesting authorization to hold the ex-PM’s trial in detention.
