On 23rd October (Monday), a special court in Pakistan indicted Former Prime Minister Imran Khan and Ex-Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the missing cipher case. The special court was formed by the Pakistani government under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) to hear the cipher case registered against the senior PTI leaders.
The special court had taken over the case from the Islamabad High Court. Special Court Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain has been holding an in-camera hearing at the Adiala jail in Rawalpindi. The indictment comes after both PTI leaders moved a petition under CrPC 265-D to stop the indictment. While rejecting their petitions, judge Zulqarnain stated that the hearing was fixed for indictment and went ahead with it.
The case trial will begin once the charges are framed and the evidence of the prosecution is recorded. Subsequently, the testimonies and statements of the accused will be recorded before the court. As per the procedure, the special court also issued notices to the witnesses. As per the notice, it has asked them to appear before the court on 27th October. Till then, the special court has adjourned the hearing.
Notably, the case relates to a diplomatic cable (Cipher) that reportedly went missing from former Pakistan PM Imran Khan’s possession. OpIndia had earlier reported that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has been grilling Khan in connection with the missing cable (cipher) case.
Apparently, it was the same cable that Khan presented for a long time as evidence of a “foreign conspiracy” against him. On the basis of this purported cable, Khan had claimed that the US wanted to oust him from the Prime Minister’s office and install a puppet regime.
However, as per sources, both Khan and Qureshi have pleaded not guilty to the charges levelled against them under the stringent OSA.
In August 2023, the FIA invoked Section 5 of the Official Secrets Act 1923 and booked PTI Chairman Imran Khan and Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi in this case. Currently, both the senior PTI leaders Khan and Qureshi are in Adiala jail on judicial remand in the cipher case.
On 5th August 2023, Imran Khan was taken into custody after he was sentenced to three years in prison in the Toshakhana case. Initially, he was lodged in the Attock jail but was later moved to Adiala jail.
Later, on 29th August, the Islamabad High Court suspended the sentence given to the PTI chairman in the Toshakhana case and granted him bail. However, despite getting bail in the Toshakahana case, Khan remains incarcerated as he was arrested in the cipher case hours after getting relief from the Islamabad High Court.
Meanwhile, on 19th August, the FIA arrested PTI Vice Chairman and Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Shah Mahmood Qureshi from his Islamabad residence in the same case. Since then, both PTI leaders haven’t received any relief and the indictment will further mount their legal troubles, especially at a time when elections could be held soon in Pakistan.
