The special court established under the Official Secrets Act has decided to extend the judicial remand of PTI Chairman Imran Khan until September 13.
The hearing for the cipher case involving Imran Khan took place at Attock Jail, with his legal team including Salman Safdar, Ahmed Masrar, and Intar Panjhotha being present. Judge Abul Hasanat Zul Qarnain, presiding over the Special Court operating under the Secret Act, oversaw the proceedings.
Reports indicate that Imran Khan was brought before the court for attendance purposes, and following this, the court extended his judicial remand by an additional 14 days.
Chairman PTI’s legal team submitted three petitions during the hearing. These petitions encompassed Imran Khan’s request for bail, contesting the Ministry of Law’s assertion that the trial in jail was illegal and invalid, and advocating for an open court trial. The legal team argued that the cipher case against Imran Khan was politically motivated and not based on any violations of the Official Secrets Act.
To provide context, Imran Khan is currently under judicial remand in the cipher case. Previously, on August 16, the FIA had requested physical remand for Chairman PTI, but the court declined this request and instead placed him in judicial remand.
According to the FIA, once a case is under judicial remand, seeking physical custody or remand for the same case is not permissible. As a result, the focus will now shift to presenting the challan and proceeding with the trial, although the accused also retains the option to apply for bail.
Due to security considerations, the Ministry of Law had issued a notification for the hearing to be conducted at Attock Jail.
