ISLAMABAD: A special court on Wednesday extended former prime minister Imran Khan’s and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s judicial remand in the cipher case till September 26.
The cipher case pertains to a diplomatic document which reportedly went missing from Imran’s possession. The PTI alleges that it contained a threat from the United States to oust Imran from power.
Following the suspension of the PTI chairman’s three-year jail term in the Toshakhana case, it emerged that he had been in judicial remand in the cipher case, which was extended till September 13 last week.
The same day, Imran had approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the appointment of Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) judge, to the special court established to hear cases filed under the Official Secrets Act.
The PTI has been criticising Judge Zulqarnain’s absence from the hearings, which sources in the judiciary said was due to his wife being sick and in critical condition.
Imran’s 14-day judicial remand expired on Tuesday, and as per the law ministry’s fresh notification issued the same day, Judge Zulqarnain had requested that proceedings be held in Attock jail “due to security reasons”.
Also yesterday, the IHC reserved its order on a petition challenging the conduct of the PTI chief’s trial in prison rather than in Islamabad.
Today, the special court resumed the proceedings after the law ministry’s notification expressed no objections to conducting the trial in Attock jail.
Strict security arrangements were made outside the Attock jail ahead of the hearing. The Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) team and nine lawyers of Imran’s legal team were allowed inside the jail and were present during the in-camera hearing.
At the outset of the hearing, the former premier’s attendance was marked.
سائفر کیس میں عمران خان صاحب کے جوڈیشل ریمانڈ میں 26 ستمبر تک توسیع کر دی گئی.
— Naeem Haider Panjutha (@NaeemPanjuthaa) September 13, 2023
The court then extended Imran’s judicial remand for another 14 days, his lawyer Naeem Haider Panjotha confirmed on X (formerly Twitter).
جج صاحب کی طرف سے یقین دہائی کرائی گئی ہے کہ کل ضمانت کی درخواست پر سماعت ہو گی ،کل جج صاحب کو دونوں طرف سے دلائل سن کر فیصلہ کرنا چاہیے.
— Naeem Haider Panjutha (@NaeemPanjuthaa) September 13, 2023
Subsequently, the court directed that Imran be presented again on September 26 and also directed the FIA to submit a challan in the case by then.
In another post on X, Panjotha the judge assured him that the hearing on Imran’s bail plea would be held tomorrow.
“Tomorrow, judge sahib should hear both sides’ arguments and make a decision,” he said.
Qureshi’s judicial remand extended
Meanwhile, Qureshi was presented before Judge Zulqarnain’s special court at the Federal Judicial Complex (FJC) upon the completion of his judicial remand.
However, there, the court officials informed him that the judge had gone to Attock jail for a hearing and said they would ask the judge if Qureshi could be allowed to return after marking his attendance.
At this, Qureshi asked the authorities why the judge had gone to Attock jail, to which he was informed that there was a hearing on Imran’s case.
Judge Zulqarnain then extended Qureshi’s judicial remand by the same period as well, directing him to be presented before the court again on September 26.
Speaking to reporters outside the FJC, Qureshi reiterated his support for the PTI chief and called for transparent elections to steer the country out of the current “economic, constitutional and political crises”.
Responding to a question, he said, “We never committed treason against the country and will never do so. […] We can never think of harming Pakistan’s interests.”
تحریک انصاف کے چیئرمین عمران خان ہی ہیں اس میں دو رائے نہیں- ملک سے غداری کا سوچ بھی نہیں سکتا ، جیل میں میری بیرک کے ساتھ پھانسی گھاٹ ہے, اگر میں نے ملک سے غداری کی ہے تو مجھے پھانسی پر لٹکا دیا جائے – @SMQureshiPTI pic.twitter.com/gHv72LZPMw
— PTI (@PTIofficial) September 13, 2023
“I have such firm belief that […] there is a gallow in Adiala a few steps away from where I am detained… I am saying with confidence that I am loyal to this country, was and will remain so.
“And if I have committed treason against this country, then I shall be hanged in that gallow. I will accept it.”
On his party, he said, “Imran Khan was the PTI chairman and is. There is no ambiguity on this.”
“I was invited and I went. I presented a point of view for Pakistan. I have prioritised Pakistan’s interests,” the PTI leader added.
Qureshi further said, “We will have to think about Pakistan after setting aside our personal ego. […] We all will have to review our stances and plan of action so that Pakistan’s interests are not harmed.”
Meanwhile, the PTI said it was an “extremely shameful act” to bring Qureshi to the court in handcuffs, saying that he had “been in politics for the past 40 years”.
شاہ محمود قریشی صاحب 40 سال سے سیاست میں ہیں، بطور وزیر خارجہ دو بار پاکستان کی دنیا بھر میں نمائندگی کر چکے ہیں، پارلیمانی لیڈر بھی رہ چکے ہی اور پاکستان کی سب سے بڑی سیاسی پارٹی کے وائس چئیرمین ہیں-
شاہ صاحب کو ہتھکڑی لگا کر عدالت لانا انتہائی شرمناک عمل ہے-
یہ وقت بھی گزر… pic.twitter.com/wcsGExJLHM
— PTI (@PTIofficial) September 13, 2023
“This time will also pass but history and the Pakistani people will never forget the faces involved in these heinous actions.”
