By In a significant development, Special Court Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain, presiding over the cipher case, has directed the appearance of PTI Chairman Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi at the Federal Judicial Complex in Islamabad on November 28.
The cipher case revolves around a diplomatic document, allegedly unreturned by Imran, containing a purported threat from the United States to remove him as prime minister—a claim vehemently denied by the PTI. The former premier and Qureshi were indicted on Oct 23 and have entered pleas of not guilty.
The trial, initially held at Adiala Jail, faced a setback when an Islamabad High Court division bench deemed the government’s notification for a jail trial as “erroneous,” annulling the proceedings.
Despite a prior suspension of Imran’s sentence in the Toshakhana case, the Special Court, under the Official Secrets Act, directed his detention in the cipher case.
However, a subsequent order from the IHC on Nov 21 declared the jail trial as having “vitiated” the entire process. Consequently, the Special Court is set to initiate a fresh trial, requiring the prosecution to file a new application for a jail trial.
As the proceedings resumed on Nov 28, Judge Zulqarnain, armed with a copy of the IHC order, outlined that the trial would restart from the position prior to August 29.
Sources close to the prosecution disclosed that Judge Zulqarnain has a four-week window to conclude the cipher case trial. Within this timeframe, a week will be dedicated to framing charges, leaving three weeks for recording testimonies.
The cipher case, registered under the Official Secrets Act and PPC, alleges Imran and Qureshi’s involvement in wrongful communication/use of official secret information. Former SPM Muhammad Azam Khan, ex-federal minister Asad Umer, and others are implicated, with their roles to be determined in due course.
The FIR outlines the accused’s clandestine meeting on March 28, 2022, at Banigala, where they allegedly conspired to misuse the cipher’s contents for nefarious designs. Imran is accused of directing the manipulation of the cipher message’s contents for personal gain, with the document still in his possession.
In summary, the stage is set for a fresh trial in the cipher case, and the legal proceedings are poised to intensify in the coming weeks.
Amidst legal twists, the cipher case involving Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi takes a dramatic turn. The Special Court’s directive for a fresh trial brings new challenges, adding layers of complexity to an already intricate legal saga.
