IHC halts Imran Khan’s cipher case trial in jail

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD : The Islamabad High Court on the appeal of former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan has issued a stay order against his cipher case trial in Adiala Jail.

A divisional bench consisting of Justice Miangul Hasan Aurangzeb and Justice Taman Rift conducted the hearing on Tuesday.

The court adjourned the hearing of the case till November 16, Thursday.

The court also summoned all the records based on the reasons for the jail trial while also rejecting the request of the Attorney General not to issue an injunction.

The development came after the caretaker federal cabinet on Monday approved the jail trial of the former prime minister and PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the case.

During the hearing, Justice Miangul Hasan inquired that the court wants to know what are the unusual circumstances that this trial is being conducted in this way. “You have to tell us what actually happened,” the judge asked.

The Attorney General said that he would take the records from all the relevant institutions and place them before the court.

On this, Justice Miangul Hasan said that apparently, it seems that the three notifications (issued for the approval of jail trial) are not in accordance with the relevant rules of the High Court.

The court asked the Attorney General that when and under what circumstances was it decided that there would be a jail trial. There are many questions that need to be answered, the court said.

The court further said that the federal cabinet approved the prison trial two days ago, what were the reasons that the federal cabinet approved the prison trial?

Later, after hearing the arguments of the parties, the court issued an injunction on the jail trial of Imran Khan in the cipher case and stopped the hearing of the case in the jail until November 16.

Meanwhile, talking to media, PTI chairman’s lawyer Salman Akram Raja said that their plea was basically against the jail trial. He said that it was the basic constitutional demand to hold an open trial where everyone especially media should be allowed to see what is going on.

He said that the federal cabinet approved cipher case jail trial only yesterday. If this was the case then how can the trial be held in jail until today and how the challan was submitted and the charges framed?

The PTI lawyer further said that if the high court rules against the jail trial, then all the previous court proceedings held up until now should be quashed and a fresh start has to be made.

After the order of the Islamabad High Court regarding halting of cipher case trial in jail, the special court adjourned the hearing of the case till Friday.

Special Court Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain on Tuesday conducted the hearing of the case registered against former premier Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi under the Official Secrets Act.

However, earlier today, the trial court recorded complete statement of a witness, Ashraf, and initial statement of another witness, Haseeb bin Aziz.

Separately, the Islamabad High Court has reserved its judgement on PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s petitions seeking restoration of his bail pleas in NAB cases.

The case was heard by IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Tariq Mehmood Jehangiri.