The High Court dismissed the PTI founder’s request to halt the cipher trial, led by Justice Mian Gul Hasan Aurangzeb. Imran Khan, founder chairman of PTI, had filed a plea against the trial court’s December 12 decision in the cipher case. The court, while considering the petition, issued a notice and asked for a response.
The petitioner’s counsel urged the court to pause the trial. Justice Mian Gul Hasan Aurangzeb mentioned that a notice was being issued, indicating a subsequent review of the matter.
PTI’s former chairman’s lawyer, Usman Riaz Gul, presented the December 12 order and highlighted that the trial court was not following the prescribed procedure mentioned in Section 13(3). The lawyer emphasized that the law specifies the requirement for a complaint, not an FIR. This particular law allows legal action under certain conditions.
The court questioned the lawyer about the specific discrepancy, to which the lawyer pointed out that the proceedings were based on an FIR rather than a legally appropriate complaint. The lawyer stressed that, as per the law, a designated government official should have directly lodged the complaint in court, but instead, an FIR was registered.
Justice Mian Gul Hasan Aurangzeb remarked that this notification meets the criteria of Section 13(6). However, the lawyer argued that the court wasn’t fully grasping the situation. He elaborated that statements from 25 witnesses had been recorded, with three cross-examined, and a total of 28 witnesses were involved. The lawyer appealed for a temporary halt to the trial, expressing concerns that the trial court might reach a final decision as daily proceedings were ongoing.
The court emphasized that a notice would be issued first for further review. Ultimately, the High Court rejected the PTI founder’s lawyer’s request to halt the cipher trial. FIA Prosecutor Rizwan Abbasi received the notice during the courtroom session. Subsequently, the court adjourned the hearing of the case.
