Islamabad High Court (IHC) to hear intra-court request recorded by Imran Khan against prison preliminary tomorrow
Monday, November 13, 2023
Cabinet approved the Law Ministry's summary of the prison trial.
The summary mentions Imran Khan's security concerns.
The IHC will hear the PTI chief's appeal against the jail trial tomorrow.
ISLAMABAD: The Interim Federal Cabinet on Monday approved the jail trial of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and Deputy Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case.
The Cabinet gave its nod to the Law Ministry's summary of the trial of the former prime minister and foreign minister in Adiala jail on security grounds.
In its summary, the ministry wrote that it had issued a no-objection certificate (NOC) for the Aug. 29 prison trial requested by the interior ministry and Justice Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain.
"Prison trial has been demanded for the PTI chairman in view of security concerns," the summary said.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) will hear the interlocutory appeal filed by Khan against the jail trial on November 14 (tomorrow). The court requested arguments from the chief prosecutor.
The ousted prime minister - who was ousted after a no-confidence motion in April last year - filed an IHC against the jail trial, which was dismissed by a single bench on October 16.
A single bench headed by IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq reported no apparent malice in conducting Khan's prison trial in the cipher case, the court's verdict read, ordering him to approach the court if reservations persisted.
Later, Khan filed an internal appeal against the single bench decision.
In August this year, Khan and Qureshi were booked under the Official Secrets Act 1923 in a cipher case after the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) invoked Section 5 of the said Act.
A diplomatic cable is said to have gone missing from Imran's possessions. According to the former ruling party, the telegram contained a threat from the United States to topple the PTI government.
Imran and Qureshi are currently in Adiala jail in the cipher case.
The former prime minister was taken into custody after he was sentenced to three years in prison on August 5, 2023 in the Toshakhan case. Initially kept in Attock Jail, he was later shifted to Adiala Jail.
It is pertinent to mention here that on August 29, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) stayed the verdict given to the PTI chairman in the Toshakhan case.
