The special court overseeing the ongoing cipher case involving former PTI Chairman Imran Khan and ex-Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi at Adiala Jail clarified that the trial doesn’t fall under recent amendments but rather operates under the Secrets Act of 1923.
During the hearing held at Adiala Jail, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, the former PTI Chairman, appeared before the court. Despite assurances, media coverage of the hearing was restricted.
Qureshi sought clarification from the judge regarding whether the trial was being conducted under the Official Secrets Act of 1923 or the newly proposed 2023 Act, highlighting the state’s denial on the matter. He urged the President of Pakistan to intervene, requesting confirmation of approval for the new act and pleading for a fair hearing, separate from the jail setting.
The court rejected Qureshi’s request to separate his trial from Imran Khan’s, deeming the cases interlinked. The judge informed Qureshi that objections were dismissed, citing the trial’s adherence to Sections 5 and 9 of the Official Secrets Act of 1923, despite lawyers expressing disbelief at the presence of unidentified individuals in court.
Imran Khan, the PTI Chairman, asserted that as Prime Minister, he initiated an inquiry into the issue, expressing concerns about influential figures attempting to evade consequences. He emphasized his fearlessness before anyone but Allah, criticizing their confinement during the proceedings, reminiscent of Nawaz Sharif’s situation.
Judge Abulhasnat Zulqarnain adjourned the hearing until December 4, mandating the presence of only the accused and planning to distribute charge sheets at the next session.
PTI lawyers, speaking to the media afterward, revealed that Chairman Imran Khan had hinted at boycotting the trial twice and lodged a protest due to the lack of fairness. They criticized the restricted access for media, with only three individuals allowed to witness the proceedings, questioning the presence of seemingly planted spectators and asserting that the day’s proceedings violated the Islamabad High Court’s order for an open trial.
