The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday heard Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s petition for a halt to his trial in the cipher case and against the trial court’s verdict to indict him on October 17, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
The IHC clubbed the petition with another petition of the PTI chairman seeking disposal of the cipher case.
While hearing the case, the IHC chief justice said that he would issue orders to club those petitions with the pleas for the disposal of the cipher case.
“A petition seeking a halt to Imran Khan’s trial in the cipher case and against the trial court’s verdict to indict him has been filed,” PTI chairman’s lawyer Latif Khosa said.
“The matter is pending in the High Court and the verdict is reserved. The Lahore High Court (LHC) has also issued stay orders in a case of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA),” he added.
“We have repeatedly said that there should be no haste as the matter is pending in the High Court. We have a lot of concerns about the Official Secrets Act,” he told the court.
“What security was compromised or what privacy was leaked? Bhutto Sahib had said the same thing in his speech in Raja Bazaar. So, what happened?” he raised a question.
“My client is a national hero, and the world knows and believes now that he is innocent but in jail,” he pointed out.
“Today, there is only a miscellaneous petition to be heard. If you say, I can club your plea with the main case,” the chief justice said to Latif Khosa.
“Of course! You can club the plea with the cipher case but fix it for hearing before October 17,” Latif Khosa requested.
“What is to be happened on October 17?” the IHC chief justice questioned.
“A lot is to be happened on that day. The trial is going on. The indictment has to be announced,” Latif Khosa told the court.
“Alright? I can see that, and I will also pass an order on it and fix it for hearing on October 17,” the chief justice remarked.
Reporter: Rozina Ali