The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has chosen to withhold its decisionregarding the request for an open hearing of Imran’s bail plea in thecipher case.
During this hearing, Justice Farooq presided, and Imran was represented bya legal team led by lawyers Salman Safdar, Niazullah Niazi, and AliBukhari. Additionally, special prosecutors Zulfikar Naqvi and Shah Khawarwere present in the courtroom.
At the commencement of the proceedings, Khawar argued that certainsensitive information could not be disclosed in open court, citing theOfficial Secrets Act as the reason for an in-camera hearing. JusticeFarooq, however, emphasized that this case was a bail petition, not acriminal appeal. Khawar then informed the court that the formal charges inthe cipher case would be ready in a few days. Barrister Safdar raised thepoint that the special court judge had conducted the hearing at Attock jaildue to security concerns, rather than solely because of the Secrets Act.
He suggested that if necessary, the court could exclude irrelevantindividuals from the courtroom. Khawar responded by asserting that the bailmatter was an integral part of the cipher case hearing. Safdar furtheremphasized the significance of the case, pointing out that both Imran andPTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi were under arrest, and complicationswere arising in the post-arrest bail application.
In response, Justice Farooq indicated that he would carefully review thecase record before determining the course of action. Subsequently, the IHCdecided to reserve its verdict on this matter. During the proceedings,Marwat addressed the court, highlighting the national interest andattention surrounding this bail plea.
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In response, the Chief Justice of the IHC commented on the possibility oflive-streaming court hearings, acknowledging that such a move could attracta global audience.
He expressed his readiness to initiate this practice from his court andstressed the importance of being adequately prepared for such developments.
