The Special Court ordered Imran Khan of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to remain in custody for an additional 14 days in the cypher case on Wednesday.
Special court extends Imran’s judicial remand: To conduct the hearing, Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain came at Attock Jail. Imran has been in detention at Attock Jail since August 5 due to his arrest in the Toshakhana case.
Chief Justice Aamer Farooq of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) attended Tuesday’s session, where he heard Imran’s plea against the decision to hold the cypher case trial at Attock Jail before reserving his decision.
Sher Afzal Marwat, the attorney for PTI Chairman, read the notification from the Law Ministry to the court and questioned under what laws and authorities the Ministry of Law had moved the hearing of the case to the Attock Jail.
He inquired as to how the trial may be move from Punjab to Islamabad. He argued that only the Supreme Court, not the chief commissioner or the home secretary, has the authority legally to move a trial to another province.
The hearing will take place in Attock Jail on Wednesday (today), according to a notice released by the law ministry later that day. This was done because of “security issues.”
“The Ministry of Law and Justice, according to the notification, has authorized the hearing of the former prime minister’s cypher case at Attock Jail.”
The case in question involves the alleged “misuse” of a diplomatic cipher’s contents, which ex-premier Imran used as evidence of a coup attempt.
Last month, Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Judge Abul Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain held the cypher case hearing at Attock Jail following a notification from the Ministry of Law and Justice that the trial would take place there due to “security concerns.”