A special court in Islamabad on Tuesday extended the judicial remand of PTI chief Imran Khan and party's vice chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi till October 10 in the cipher case. The court was conducting the hearing at Attock jail where the two leaders are being held.
The hearing was conducted by Special court Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain at Attock jail, where the two leaders are currently being held. PTI counsels including Barrister Salman Safdar, Latif Khosa, Umer Niazi, and Naeem Panjutha appeared before the court, as did a team from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
Qureshi was brought to the Federal Judicial Complex handcuffed by a FIA team, where the court staff marked his attendance. The court then extended his judicial remand till October 10.
Last month, the FIA booked Khan and Qureshi under the Official Secrets Act for allegedly misplacing and misusing a classified document for vested political interests.
The FIR registered against the PTI leaders states that "consequent upon the conclusion of the enquiry No. 111/2023 dated 05.10.2022, registered in the CTW, FIA Islamabad, it transpired that former prime minister namely Imran Ahmad Khan Niazi, former foreign minister namely Shah Mahmood Qureshi and their other associates are involved in communications of information contained in the secret classified document (Cipher Telegram received from Parep. Washington dated 7th March, 2022 to Secretary Ministry of Foreign Affairs) to the unauthorised person (i.e. public at large) by twisting the facts to achieve their ulterior motives and personal gains in a manner prejudicial to the interests of state security.”
Subsequently, both leaders were arrested in connection with the investigation into the case and a special court was established under the Official Secrets Act to try the accused.
Speaking to the media after the hearing, lawyer Khosa said that had the FIA submitted the challan in the court, the PTI chief would have been granted bail today. He also lamented that the law and Constitution are being violated in the country.
Speaking about the arrest of PTI leaders despite being granted bail by courts, the PTI chief’s counsel said court orders are being violated by the authorities.
“Parvez Elahi has been granted bail many times, but he is still under arrest,” he added.
Analysis:
The extension of Khan and Qureshi's judicial remand till October 10 is a significant development in the cipher case. The case has been politically charged, with Khan and his supporters alleging that it is a politically motivated witch-hunt by the current government. The government, on the other hand, has denied these allegations and said that the case is being investigated fairly and independently.
It remains to be seen how the case will unfold in the coming weeks. If the FIA is able to present a strong case against Khan and Qureshi, they could face serious consequences, including imprisonment. However, if the FIA is unable to prove its case, the case could fall apart, leading to the release of Khan and Qureshi.
