ISLAMABAD: A special court on Thursday adjourned a hearing of a cipher case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and Vice-Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi till October 9 without any proceedings.
Special court Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain presided over the proceedings in Adiala jail in line with the notification of the Ministry of Law.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) team, and the special prosecutor appeared before the court.
A 12-member PTI leader team including Barrister Salman Safdar, Sardar Latif Khosa, Raja Yasir, Naeem Haider Panjutha, Barrister Umair Khan Niazi, Chaudhary Khalid Yusuf, Niazullah Khan Niazi, Rai Muhammad Ali and others were allowed to attend the hearing in Adiala jail.
The PTI lawyers raised objections to the hearing of the case in Adiala jail and implored the court to put off the hearing until Islamabad High Court (IHC) decides on its plea challenging in-camera trial of their clients.
The IHC on Monday reserved verdict on the Federal Investigation Agency plea for an in-camera hearing on the PTI chief’s bail application in the cipher case.
The FIA had stated in its plea that an open court hearing could harm Pakistan’s diplomatic ties with other states if the matter is discussed publicly.
The PTI legal team also refused to receive a copy of FIA challan (charge sheet), submitted to the court last week, in today’s hearing.
The PTI chief was also produced in the courtroom. Both the PTI leaders are on judicial remand till October 10 in the cipher case.
A heavy contingent of police was deployed outside the Rawalpindi prison for the hearing. –Agencies
