ISLAMABAD, DEC 4 /DNA/ – Former PTI chairman Imran Khan and Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi will be indicted in the cipher case on December 12.
Proceedings of the case were conducted by the Official Secrets Act special court judge in Adiala Jail.
During the proceedings, copies of the investigation report were shared with the suspects.
Imran Khan told the court he would call former army chief Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa as a witness, as well as a representative from the American embassy in Islamabad.
During the hearing, the former prime minister’s lawyers objected to the court proceedings. They argued that legal requirements were not fulfilled in the notification issued for the jail trial against Imran Khan.
They further said that until a fresh notification was issued, the proceedings could not move ahead.
Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqernain remarked that the high court’s divisional bench had declared the notification of appointment of the judge as valid.
After hearing the arguments of both parties, the court distributed copies of the investigation report among the suspects. The court also expressed displeasure over the late arrival of Imran Khan’s lawyer.
“I have been waiting for an hour and a half, but the lawyer did not arrive,” the judge said.
Lawyer Usman Gul replied that he reach the court late due to fog.
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Shah Mahmood urged for stating the next hearing at 9am. The judge said he would if the former minister told his layers to reach the court on time.
PTI lawyers Babar Awan and Shiraz Ranjha were present during the hearing, while the prosecutor was Syed Zulfiqar Abbas Naqvi.
At the previous hearing, Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqernain had remarked that the proceedings in the cipher case would be conducted on merit.
During that hearing, Qureshi said they should be told whether the trial was being conducted under the Official Secrets Act 1923 or 2023, adding that there were never any security threats to him as he used to travel in his car all by himself.
When his production orders were issued, the jail administration violated them and didn’t produce him, Qureshi maintained, adding that the administration didn’t submit the record on his bail application.
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He further said that attempts were being made to conduct a trial in this case that has no basis. Even the president of Pakistan disowns the amendments to the Official Secrets Act, he said, and requested that President Alvi be summoned to court.
Qureshi said the president should take an oath in court and tell whether he approved this amendment or not. Imran
Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqernain told the suspect that one of their objections had been cleared as the media and the public were present in the hearing today. “You were not produced in court due to security concerns,” he told Qureshi.
“Your and Imran Khan’s trial cannot be separated, as this case is interlinked,” he added.
The judge remarked that no provision of the recently amended Act applied to this case, adding the trial was being conducted under sections 9 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act.
“We will proceed on merit,” Judge Hasnat said.
Former prime minister Imran Khan told the court that he ordered an inquiry into the cipher being the prime minister. He claimed that efforts were being made to save some powerful people who were involved in the case.
“We have been locked up like goats, while Nawaz Sharif has been brought here from abroad,” Khan added.
