F.P. Report
RAWALPINDI: Former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Monday stated that he will include former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa and US embassy officials as witnesses in his defence in the cipher case.
“Will include General Bajwa and US embassy officials as witnesses [in the case]. General Bajwa did everything on Donald Lu’s directives,” claimed Khan during an informal conversation with journalists in Adiala jail during the cipher case hearing. A special court established under the Official Secrets Act 2023 held an open court hearing in Adiala jail where Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi are incarcerated.
The court is conducting the trial afresh after the Islamabad High Court nullified the jail trial on November 21. Both of them were indicted on October 23 but the indictment stood cancelled after the IHC order. Speaking to the media person today, the former prime minister predicted that his party would win the February 8 polls, adding that he was arrested under a plan.
Khan said he was thankful to those PTI leaders jumping the ship. He also rejected reports that he held negotiations in jail. In November, PTI President Parvez Elahi claimed that officials of the European Union and the International Monetary Fund routinely visit Imran Khan at Adiala.
He also shared that he did not face any difficulties in jail. Khan also spoke about the allegations put forward against him by Khawar Maneka — the former husband of his wife Bushra Bibi. He stated that he saw his wife’s face for the first time after their nikkah. The former prime minister also claimed that Bushra’s sons were being pressurised to give a statement against their mother.
Meanwhile, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, the co-accused in the cipher case, said that the PTI was in his heart and no one could take it out of there. “I do not need any post in PTI anymore,” said Qureshi while talking to journalists. The special court hearing the cipher case has set December 12 as the date of indictment for Khan and Qureshi.
The indictment date was set by Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain after both the suspects were provided with the case record during the hearing held in the Adiala jail. During the hearing, PTI lawyers urged the court not to hand over the record, while the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) special prosecutor asked the court to go ahead.
Today was the second open court hearing after the judge decided to hold the trial in jail due to “serious security risks” brought to light by the prison’s superintendent. The federal cabinet last week had also approved the summary to hold the jail trial of Khan and Qureshi in the cipher case after it was moved by the Ministry of Law and Justice. The court had also stated that the proceedings can be attended by anyone who wishes to do so including the journalists. Despite those orders, only six journalists were allowed to attend the hearing today by the jail authorities.
