Imran Khan, the Chairman of PTI, and Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi have been formally charged in the cipher case, although both have pleaded not guilty. A special court under the Official Secrets Act has summoned government lawyers for a hearing on October 27. During the previous hearing, copies of the investigation report were provided to the suspects. Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain presided over the proceedings in Adiala Jail today.
The PTI’s legal team, led by Naeem Haider Panjotha, is representing the suspects, while the FIA team is present in court with the complete case record.
Before the hearing, FIA Special Prosecutor Shah Khawar informed the media that the suspects were to be formally indicted that day, and the defense side was expected to file an application under Section 265D of the CrPC if the suspects continued to plead not guilty. If this happens, 28 witnesses will be summoned in sets, according to Shah Khawar.
It’s worth noting that on October 17, Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi couldn’t be indicted in the cipher case, as copies of the investigation report had been shared with them. The special court distributed copies of the report among the suspects despite objections from their lawyers. After a hearing in Adiala Jail, the proceedings were postponed until October 23.
PTI lawyer Sher Afzal Marwat told the media that the indictment had been delayed due to their not receiving the report at the last hearing. However, with the copies now in hand, charges will be framed at the next hearing. Marwat also mentioned that the two PTI leaders had been brought to court in a cage but noted that the next hearing would take place in a larger room.
The lawyer further revealed that statements from 22 individuals who held press conferences regarding the events of May 9 had been recorded, and statements from PTI members were recorded under Section 164 of the CrPC. There were concerns that Imran Khan’s case might be transferred to a military court based on these statements.
PTI lawyer Salman Safdar expressed hope that a decision would be announced on the remaining applications by Monday and mentioned that Imran Khan had been informed about the legal matters and was considering challenging the decision regarding the jail trial in the high court, with Salman Akram Raja set to lead the challenge.
