ISLAMABAD: The special court Tuesday extended the judicial remand of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case until October 10.
The cipher case pertains to a diplomatic document that allegedly went missing from Imran Khan’s possession. The PTI, on the other hand, alleges that it contained a threat from the US to oust Imran Khan from power.
Following the suspension of the PTI chairman’s three-year jail term in the Toshakhana case, he had been under judicial remand in the cipher case. As per the law ministry’s notification, the special court proceedings are held in the Attock jail “due to security reasons”.
Imran’s judicial remand was initially extended till September 13 and then again till September 26, along with his lieutenant Qureshi’s. The special court had rejected bail pleas of both leaders earlier this month. Subsequently, Imran approached the Islamabad High Court seeking post-arrest bail.
A day ago, the IHC had ordered that the former PM be shifted to the Adiyala jail in Rawalpindi from Attock. However, he attended the proceedings today in the Attock jail mainly due to two reasons — security concerns and the absence of a written court order.
Today, Special Court Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain presided over the in-camera amid elaborate security arrangements outside the jail. The law ministry had yesterday issued a no-objection certificate (NOC) for the hearing to be held at the Attock jail.
Meanwhile, PTI vice-president Qureshi was presented before the special court at the Federal Judicial Complex (FJC) here where he was brought to the court handcuffed. He told media-men that if the PTI was not allowed to contest the general elections, the polls would be “meaningless” and “worthless”.
