ISLAMABAD: The judicial remand of Imran Khan, the leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and Shah Mahmood Qureshi, the vice chairman of the party, in the cipher case, was extended until September 26 by a special court created under the Official Secrets Act on Wednesday.
Imran Khan has been in jail since August 5 following his conviction in the Toshakhana case, where he was found guilty of improperly declaring gifts received during his time in office.
He was sentenced to three years in prison and a Rs 100,000 fine by a lower court, but the Islamabad High Court (IHC) overturned that verdict, preventing him from running in the next elections.
He is still imprisoned due to his arrest in the cipher case. After booking them under the Official Secrets Act, the former foreign minister and prime minister were formally detained by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in the cipher case last month.
Khan was caught in the cipher case while serving a sentence of three years in Attock jail in the Toshakhana case last month, while Qureshi was brought into custody from his apartment in Islamabad on August 19 in the same case.
The Law Ministry formed the special court under the Official Secrets Act to hold hearings on cipher cases. Judge Zulqarnain of the anti-terrorism court (ATC) was given an additional charge to hear the case.
On Khan’s petition contesting the Law Ministry’s notification to hold his trial in Attock jail, the IHC had reserved its decision the day before, citing security concerns.
