ISLAMABAD:
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday rejected former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s bail plea in the cypher case.
Chief Justice IHC Aamer Farooq, who had reserved his decision on Imran’s bail application earlier, announced the reserved decision today.
The court also dismissed a petition seeking quashment of the case. Imran is currently imprisoned in Adiala Jail on judicial remand in the cypher case.
Yesterday, IHC rejected Imran’s request to stop the cypher case trial, being conducted by a special court formed under the Official Secrets Act (OSA), and reserved its ruling on his bail application.
Read Imran, Qureshi indicted in cypher case
At least three different benches of the IHC heard various petitions filed by Imran.
Imran’s lawyer Salman Safdar argued that they had been provided the copies of the challan on Oct 17, while the court Indicted Imran on Oct 23, without giving a seven-day time. He added that the copy of the cypher was not part of the challan, therefore, they did not know what the charges were.
In his ruling, the chief justice turned down the PTI chief’s plea to stop the trial. However, on the issue related to the indictment of the accused, the court said that the petitioner had the right to a transparent trial.
Read more IHC allows lawyers to meet PTI chief in jail
Separately, PTI’s lawyers Sardar Latif Khosa, Umair Niazi, Gohar Ali, Naeem Haider Panjotha and others met the PTI chairman for about an hour at the Adiala Jail and discussed with him the legal issues pertaining to his cases.
Statements of official witnesses against Imran and Qureshi will be recorded. Special Court Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain will hear the case at Adiala Jail.
The court had summoned 28 witnesses of the government. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) team will present the witnesses. After the statements, the lawyers will cross-examine them.
Strict security arrangements have also been made outside the jail.
