IHC clubs Imran’s pleas against cipher case

F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday combined former prime minister Imran Khan’s separate petitions seeking to stay the trial court proceedings in the cipher case and dismiss the case altogether.
IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq took up a separate plea seeking the stay of Imran’s trial in the cipher case and clubbed it with the main plea, wherein he has sought the dismissal of the case and be fixed for hearing. During the hearing, senior lawyer Sardar Latif Khosa appeared as Imran’s counsel and informed the court that the pleas were seeking the stay of the trial court proceedings and challenging the special court’s order of indictment.
He further said that the matter was pending before the IHC and a verdict had been reserved, adding that the Lahore High Court has also issued a stay order in a case by the FIA. Khosa reiterated that he had urged the special court to “not hurry” as the matter was pending before the high court.
The lawyer went on to emphasise that he had “plenty of concerns” regarding the application of the Official Secrets Act in the case. “What security was compromised or which secrecy [sic] was leaked? Bhutto sahib had also made similar remarks in his speech in Raja Bazaar, so what? “My client is a national hero and the world knows and believes that. Now, he is in jail [while] innocent,” Khosa asserted.
Justice Farooq then asked him if the separate plea should be combined with that seeking dismissal of the case, to which Khosa agreed on the condition that it would be fixed before October 17. When Justice Farooq inquired what would happen on October 17, the counsel replied, “There would be great unpleasantness on October 17. A trial is under way. Indictment is to take place.” The chief justice then observed that he would review the matter and issue an order on it, assuring that the pleas would be fixed for hearing before October 17.
Meanwhile, Imran’s lawyer, Naeem Haider Panjutha lamented the delay in today’s hearing of his client’s bail plea in the cipher case. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he said the hearing was supposed to start at 2pm but it had not started till 2:34pm at least. He added that even the previous hearing began late, due to which it had to be adjourned.