Significant developments have arisen at Attock Jail in Islamabad, where the Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has declined a transfer to Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail. In the Official Secret Act Special Court, Judge Abul Hasanat Muhammad Zulqarnain presided over a cipher case.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has not yet submitted the required documents, prompting the court to adjourn the hearing and instruct the FIA to do so promptly. The judicial remand of the PTI Chairman has been extended until October 10.
Chairman PTI made a statement in court expressing his desire to remain at Attock Jail and indicated that he would instruct his lawyers to withdraw the request for transfer to Adiala Jail. Notably, the Islamabad High Court had previously ordered the transfer of the PTI Chairman from Attock to Adiala Jail. Chief Justice Amir Farooq of the Islamabad High Court issued a written order to that effect, invalidating the previous notification regarding the transfer to Attock Jail. The court mandated that the PTI Chairman receive all entitled facilities while in jail.
The PTI Chairman had received a three-year sentence in the Tosha Khana case, with the trial court recommending his confinement to Adiala Jail. However, he was transferred to Attock Jail on the recommendation of the Inspector General of Jails. The court’s order emphasized that the suspension of the sentence in the Tosha Khana case resulted in the PTI Chairman’s current status as an under-trial prisoner. Under-trial prisoners in Islamabad cases are typically held in Adiala Jail, while only convicted prisoners can be moved to other jails in Punjab. Given his former position as Prime Minister, the PTI Chairman is entitled to better-class accommodations in jail.
Furthermore, a reserved judgment has been issued regarding the request to hold the Cypher case in-camera. The next hearing of the bail application for the cipher case in the Islamabad High Court will be conducted in an open court. The prosecution had requested an in-camera hearing, citing that a similar arrangement was made during the trial court proceedings, with unrelated individuals being removed from the courtroom. The prosecution may seek a separate application for an in-camera hearing if deemed necessary.
