Special Court Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain, overseeing the cipher caseinvolving Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) leaders Imran Khan and ShahMahmood Qureshi, has taken a leave of absence until September 8th.
In a video shared on X (formerly Twitter), Naeem Haider Panjutha, ImranKhan’s legal counsel, revealed that upon their arrival at the court, theywere informed of Judge Zulqarnain’s one-week leave.
Panjutha further disclosed that their legal team requested AdministrativeJudge Raja Jawad Abbas to preside over the case during Judge Zulqarnain’sabsence. However, Judge Abbas declined, citing a lack of authorization tohandle the case. Panjutha stated their intention to seek recourse from theIslamabad High Court to determine who can preside over the case while JudgeZulqarnain is on leave.
The cipher case in question pertains to the alleged “misuse” of diplomaticcipher content, which former Prime Minister Imran Khan has presented asevidence of an attempt to destabilize his government, during which ShahMahmood Qureshi served as the foreign minister.
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Notably, Imran Khan is currently incarcerated in Attock Jail, while ShahMahmood Qureshi is detained in Adiala Jail in connection with this case.
