The Islamabad High Court (IHC) issued stay orders, halting proceedings in the cipher trial until January 11th following a petition against an in-camera trial. Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb presiding over the case restrained proceedings and directed the submission of necessary trial documents for the next hearing.
The defense argued that instead of filing a complaint, an FIR was lodged, prompting court proceedings. The court served notice to the federation regarding the appeal against the indictment.
Justice Miangul Aurangzeb questioned the shift to an in-camera trial, stating that the court had initially ordered an open trial. The judge emphasized the need for proper procedures, highlighting that simply allowing media presence doesn't constitute an open trial.
The Attorney General explained that the cross-examination involved individuals associated with cipher coding and decoding. However, the court insisted on adhering to the principles of an open trial for a fair proceeding.
Prosecutor Raja Rizwan Abbasi deemed the plea against the in-camera trial as non-maintainable and offered to assist the court. The Attorney General assured the court that only four witnesses would undergo in-camera cross-examination, specifically related to the Foreign Office's cipher security.
Consequently, the bench adjourned the hearing on the plea against the in-camera trial until January 11th.
