Cipher case: IK to remain behind bars as special court extends judicial remand till Sept 13
ATTOCK (Online): A special court established under the Official Secrets Act extended Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s judicial remand till September 13 in the cipher case, hearing of which was held at the Attock District Jail, sources told.
Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain, who arrived at the jail to conduct the hearing, issued the decision in the case of the missing cipher, a classified state document that Khan had waved during his political gathering ahead of his ouster from office last year.
Hearing of the case took place at the Attock District Jail following approval by the Law Ministry amid security concerns expressed by the Interior Ministry.
Khan has been imprisoned in the said jail since his conviction in the Toshakhana case on August 5 for failing to properly declare gifts he received while in office.
While the Islamabad High Court, a day earlier, overturned a lower court’s decision to jail him for three years with a Rs100,000 fine — a judgment that kept him from contesting upcoming elections, he remains behind bars due to his judicial remand in the cipher case till August 30.
The FIA had officially arrested the former prime minister in the cipher case earlier this month after booking him under Official Secrets Act.
Subsequently, the PTI chief was sent on judicial remand in the cipher case till August 30 (today) at the same time while he was serving his sentence in Toshakhana case at Attock jail.
At the hearing today, Prosecutor Zulfiqar Naqvi represented the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) while PTI lawyer Salman Safdar appeared on behalf of Khan.
The PTI chief’s counsel later filed a post-arrest bail application, along with the request to hear the case in an open court, as per the sources.
Earlier, the court had also directed the superintendent of Attock jail to keep the ex-PM in the judicial lockup and present him upon completion of the remand period.
Therefore he was not immediately released from jail, despite IHC orders suspending the trial court conviction in Toshakhana case.
Meanwhile, the PTI lawyers have moved multiple bails after the court extended Khan’s judicial remand.
In one petition, filed in the special court, the PTI lawyers have requested to declare the jail trial notification “illegal”, the sources said.
Meanwhile, in another, they have sought the former premier’s post-arrest bail after which the court issued a notice to all the parties seeking their responses on September 2, according to the sources.
Parties, including the FIA special prosecutor and PTI lawyers, have been called to present arguments in the case on the aforementioned date.
Ahead of the hearing, sources told Geo News that Khan’s five-member legal team — headed by Advocate Salman Safdar — attended the court hearing in the prison.
PTI chief’s legal team comprising Naeem Haider Panjotha, Salman Safdar, Intizar Panjotha, Ali Ijaz Buttar and Umair Niazi were earlier denied request for meeting Khan, but were later allowed entry inside the jail.
The police had earlier only permitted Safdar to enter the Attock jail premises.
On the other hand, one of Khan’s counsels, Buttar, questioned the former prime minister’s remand.
“We have many questions. When was the PTI chairman remanded? How was the remand made possible without telling the party chief and his lawyers?” he asked.
