In Islamabad, the Official Secrets Act Court has decided to withhold its ruling on the bail requests of Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi. The court is expected to announce its decision shortly.
As reported by Express News, a hearing took place regarding the bail applications of Imran Khan, the Chairman of PTI, and Shah Mehmood Qureshi, a PTI leader, at the Special Court for Official Secrets Act. During the hearing, legal representatives for Imran Khan and Shah Mehmood Qureshi presented their arguments. Salman Safdar, the lawyer representing Chairman PTI, submitted written arguments.
Salman Safdar asserted that Chairman PTI had experienced an unprecedented level of political vendetta in history. He emphasized Chairman PTI’s strong patriotism and highlighted that over 180 cases were filed against him, with more than 140 cases preceding his arrest.
Barrister Salman Safdar contended that this case transcends individual responsibility; it implicates the entire cabinet. He maintained that Chairman PTI’s arrest was executed under provisions allowing for bail, as the alleged crime pertained to sharing secrets with a foreign adversary. The cipher document was received by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on March 7, 2022, and it is incumbent upon the Prime Minister’s staff to account for its handling.
Imran Khan’s lawyer, Salman Safdar, questioned the validity of the charges, arguing that if the cipher document was indeed a crime, it wouldn’t have been presented during a National Security Committee meeting. He pointed out that the content of the cipher document had never been disclosed in public, emphasizing that they had never advocated for its public release.
Additionally, Imran Khan’s lawyer, Babar Awan, raised doubts about the alleged theft of the cipher and the subsequent cabinet meeting held to discuss it. He presented a video conversation involving former army chief Qamar Bajwa, suggesting that it referred to the cipher as a paper or slip. Babar Awan inquired about the whereabouts of Azam Khan, implying that further investigation was necessary in his absence.
During the proceedings, Babar Awan displayed the video conversation on a mobile phone, prompting the judge to smile and inquire if he intended to show the cipher.