A special court made a decision on Wednesday to extend the judicial remandof Shah Mahmood Qureshi, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman, andthe party’s Vice Chairman, in the cipher case until September 26. Thisruling was handed down by Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain, who presided overthe case within the confines of the Attock District Jail, as it fell underthe Official Secrets Act of 2023. The cipher case revolves around aclassified state document.
The decision to conduct the hearing in Attock Jail was made following theLaw Ministry’s approval, which took into account security concerns raisedby the Interior Ministry. Imran Khan, the PTI Chairman, had beenincarcerated on August 5 due to his conviction in the Toshakhana case.However, on August 29, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) suspended hissentence. Despite this, a special court ordered Attock jail authorities tocontinue holding him in “judicial lockup” in relation to the cipher case.
On a separate note, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had been reviewing apetition filed by the PTI chairman, challenging the Law Ministry’s decisionto conduct the cipher case trial in Attock jail. Chief Justice Aamer Farooqof the IHC reserved the verdict on the PTI chairman’s plea after hearingthe arguments presented. The court had also requested an explanation fromthe respondents regarding this matter.
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In summary, the special court’s decision to extend the judicial remand ofPTI Chairman Imran Khan and Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi in thecipher case highlights the legal proceedings taking place amidst a backdropof complex legal issues and security concerns. The fate of these prominentpolitical figures continues to be a subject of judicial scrutiny and debatein Pakistan’s legal landscape
