The Islamabad High Court (IHC) announced the annulment of the notification for the jail trial of the former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief in the cipher case, which was issued by the government on August 29.
A division bench of the IHC, including Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb and Justice Saman Riffat Imtiaz, delivered the verdict after the PTI chief filed an intra-court appeal against the trial. The court had previously suspended the PTI chief's sentence in the Toshakhana case on August 29. However, a special court, operating under the Official Secrets Act, had instructed the jail authorities to confine the PTI chairman in "judicial lockup" regarding the cipher case.
The court determined that the notification released by the law ministry on November 13 for the PTI chief's jail trial was no longer valid.
In a hearing on Monday, the IHC extended the stay against the trial court proceedings by one day. Discussions revolved around the judge's appointment procedure and the trial within the jail premises. Salman Akram Raja, the PTI chief's counsel, argued before the division bench, pointing out flaws in the judge's appointment procedure.
