Cipher case: IHC reserves verdict on PTI chief’s plea against indictment

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has reserved verdict on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan’s plea challenging his indictment in the cipher case, ARY News reported on Thursday.

The IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq reserved the verdict after hearing arguments on PTI chief’s plea against his indictment in the cipher case.

The IHC removed objections to PTI chairman’s plea. Salman Safdar told the court that it took him 10 days to complete his arguments on the bail plea.

The IHC CJ remarked, “It took me 10 days too for the same reason. I have already told you that this kind of matter came up for first time.”

Justice Aamer Farooq remarked that both sides gave strong arguments.

Salman Safdar apprised the IHC that his client was indicted just six days after the distribution of copies of the charge sheet despite the cipher was neither part of it nor the case file. He added that the indictment was made on October 23 after providing copies of the charge sheet on October 17.

Advocate Safdar argued that the trial court took an illegal move as the alleged cipher issue was not part of the charge sheet. It was alleged that the cipher has been tampered but none of the copies of original or tampered cipher was provided to his client, he added.

After hearing the arguments, the IHC CJ Farooq reserved the verdict.

Yesterday, Imran Khan challenged the special court’s October 23 indictment order in cipher case in IHC.

The former prime minister through his counsel, Salman Safdar, requested the court to declare the special court’s indictment proceedings in the cipher case null and void.

In his plea, the former prime minister stated that as per the law, charges can only be framed seven days after the distribution of the case copy. “The trial court overlooked constitutional requirement and indicted in haste,” it alleged.

The petitioner further maintained that a hasty trial may adversely affect fundamental constitutional rights and the due process of law.  “Apex court did not provide directives to expedite the proceedings or to conduct the trial on a day-to-day basis,” the petitioner claimed.

The plaintiff urged the IHC to declare the Official Secrets Act Court’s order of October 23 as null and void.

A special court indicted former Prime Minister Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi, the then foreign minister, in an official secrets acts case on Monday.

Cipher case

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.

Read more: Cipher case: Witnesses list against PTI chief surfaces

Former prime minister Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi were nominated in the report, while names of former principal secretary Azam Khan and former planning minister Asad Umar were also mentioned.

The FIR stated that the former prime minister and foreign minister distorted the facts of the diplomatic cipher. “A conspiracy was launched to misuse the contents of the cipher to fulfill nefarious purposes”, it added. It further stated that former premier and top diplomat endangered the state interests.