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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf counsel Babar Awan on Monday said that party chief Imran Khan wants the “US envoy and an ex-army general” summoned by the special court hearing the cypher case trial. Speaking to the media, Babar added Imran said that “US embassy representatives should also be called and took the name of a former army general”.
During the hearing today, the special court established under the Official Secrets Act decided to indict PTI leaders Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cypher case. The court presided over by Judge Abdul Hasnat Zulqarnain in Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail, decided that charges would be filed afresh during the next hearing on December 12 as the court has directives from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to complete proceedings in a month.
Both party leaders are being tried under Sections 5 and 9 of the Official Secrets Act 1923.
Last year on March 27, 2022, ahead of a vote of no-confidence in the National Assembly that resulted in his ouster, then-premier Imran had pulled out a piece of paper – allegedly the classified cypher – from his pocket and waved it at a public gathering in Islamabad, claiming it was evidence of an “inter-national conspiracy” being hatched to topple his government.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) booked and arrested Imran and former minister Qureshi for “wrongful use” of official secret information and illegal retention of the cypher telegram with malafide intentions.
PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who had served as the country’s foreign minister during PTI’s rule, was arrested by the FIA on August 19. The agency arrested Imran on August 29.
While the copies of the challan were distributed to the former PTI chairman and his aide during the session today, the charges would be filed at the next hearing.
At the previous hearing on December 4, Qureshi told the judge that the president had not given his assent to the amendments made to the Official Secrets Act, 1923 by the PML-N-led government at the tail-end of its term. He further requested the court to summon the president to the court to testify in the cypher case.
The previous hearing was ostensibly held as an open-court trial in which members of the media as well as civilians were allowed to participate as per the orders of the IHC. However, PTI’s counsel claimed to the media that only three out of more than 50 journalists were allowed inside while 10 civilians were ‘planted’ to participate in the court hearing. –Agencies
