Official Secrets Act Special Court has extended judicial remand of PTI Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan in missing cipher case, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
Special court judge Abual Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnaini conducted the proceedings of the case at Attock Jail on Tuesday and granted 14-day extension extension in Imran Khan’s judicial remand till October 10.
The judge also directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to submit challan in the case as soon as possible.
Earlier in the morning, the special court judge had reached Attock Jail to hold the trial of Imran Khan in the cipher case.
PTI chairman’s legal team had also reached the Attock Jail. The team is comprised of Salman Safdar, Umair Niazi, and others.
Salman Safdar hoped that Imran Khan’s bail could be possible in a week.
Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Aamer Farooq had on Monday passed an order to shift the former prime minister to Adiala Jail from Attock Prison.
But despite court orders, PTI Chairman Imran Khan was not shifted to Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail until late on Monday, mainly due to two reasons; security concerns and the absence of a written order.
During the case proceedings, Chief Justice Farooq remarked that the under-trial prisoners of Islamabad were kept in Adiala Jail.
He said the PTI chairman was transferred to Attock Jail before his sentence (in Toshakhana case) was suspended. But now Imran’s sentence in the case has been suspended and he is an undertrial prisoner now, the judge observed.
“According to law, the undertrial prisoners of Islamabad are kept in Adiala Jail. Transfer him to Adiala Prison,” the chief justice ordered, inquiring further which class was given to the former premier. He said that the court was told that the A and B classes had been abolished in the jail facility.
The additional attorney general informed the court that now common but better classes were there in jail.
The chief justice remarked that the PTI chairman deserved a better class as he was the former prime minister of the country. He said that Imran Khan was an educated person. He reprimanded the AAG, wondering if the PTI chairman was shifted to Rahim Yar Khan, would the authorities hold his trial in the RYK?
Qureshi also get extension in judicial remand
The special court also extended the judicial remand of PTI Vice-Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi in the cipher case until October 10.
Qureshi was produced before the court on Tuesday after his earlier judicial remand was completed.
IHC issues written order of open court trial of cipher case
In its written order on the FIA petition seeking in-camera proceeding of the cipher case against former premier and PTI Chairman Imran Khan, the Islamabad High Court rejected the prosecution plea saying that the next hearing of the case in the IHC would be held in the open court, reported 24News HD TV channel on Tuesday.
According to the order, the FIA prosecutor on Monday pleaded with the court to hold an in-camera hearing of the cipher case on the pattern of the special court.
During the hearing, Chief Justice Aamer Farooq removed the irrelevant persons from the courtroom.
Counsel for the petitioner also raised no objection to the request of the prosecution.
The order said that the prosecution could apply separately for an in-camera hearing if it wanted.
Irrelevant persons could be removed from the courtroom under Section 14 of the Official Secrets Act, the order concluded.
Reporters Farzana Siddique, Rozina Ali and Muhammad Imran