Cipher case: IHC rejects PTI chairman’s plea against jail trial

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday rejected the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman’s plea against his jail trial in cipher case, ARY News reported. 

Justice Miangul Hassan of IHC took up the plea of the PTI chairman against his jail trial in cipher case. In his arguments, Salman Akram said it was said that due to security concerns, his client is going through a trial in jail.

My client was never asked about consent for jail trial, the federal government does not have the right to ‘pick and choose’.

Miangul Hassan rejecting the plea against jail trial in the cipher case, remarked that the court cannot provide you interim relief immediately.

The court cannot change rules for any individual, Justice Gul remarked.

It is pertinent to mention here that the PTI chief and vice chairman were booked for ‘deliberately missing a copy of the diplomatic cipher’.

The first information report (FIR) was registered on August 15 under the Official Secrets Act. It was registered on the complaint of the Home Secretary.

The case was registered after Azam Khan, ex-principal secretary to the PTI chairman and former prime minister made startling revelations and claimed that the former PM used US cipher for his ‘political gains’ and to avert a no-confidence motion against him.