The Islamabad High Court (IHC) held a crucial session on Monday duringwhich it deliberated on the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) requestfor an in-camera hearing regarding the bail application of PakistanTehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in the cipher case. Present inthe courtroom were FIA Special Prosecutor Shah Khawar and PTI ChairmanImran Khan’s legal representative, Salman Safdar.
Shah Khawar, the FIA special prosecutor, fervently advocated for anin-camera hearing for Imran Khan’s bail plea, emphasizing that thesensitive nature of the case could potentially harm Pakistan’s diplomaticrelationships with other nations if discussed openly. He cited historicalprecedent, recalling how even former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto hadfaced legal consequences for publicly commenting on similar matters.
In contrast, Salman Safdar, representing PTI Chairman Imran Khan, argued infavor of an open court hearing. He contended that if the FIA had anysensitive information related to the case, they should present ittransparently before the court for consideration.
After carefully listening to arguments from both sides, IHC Chief JusticeAamer Farooq decided to reserve the verdict on the FIA’s plea for anin-camera hearing in the cipher case. The court also noted that it wouldreview the application for in-camera proceedings alongside the main bailapplication, indicating a thorough evaluation of the matter’s significanceand the potential implications it might hold.
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In this pivotal legal proceeding, the Islamabad High Court demonstrated itscommitment to ensuring a fair and just assessment of the situation whiletaking into account both the security concerns raised by the FIA and theprinciples of transparency and openness advocated by Salman Safdar onbehalf of PTI Chairman Imran Khan. The court’s reserved verdict willdetermine the course of action in this case, with far-reaching implicationsfor Pakistan’s diplomatic relations.
