PTI chief’s cipher case to be heard in Adiala Jail

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Law on Tuesday issued a notification to hold Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman’s trial in Adiala jail in the cipher case, ARY News reported.

The notification adds that the law and justice division says it has ‘no objection’ to the trial being held in jail.

The notification was issued after special court judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain wrote a letter to the Ministry of Law, asking it to issue a notification to hold the hearing of the cipher case in the Rawalpindi prison due to security concerns.

Earlier, the FIA submitted challan of the cipher case in a special court constituted under the Official Secrets Act. PTI chairman and Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi were indicted in the challan.

The FIA pleaded to the court for trial and conviction of the Chairman PTI and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

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.

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

According to the report, action also will be taken against Azam Khan and Asad Umar after the authorities reached the conclusion that they were also involved in misusing the classified documents.

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.

The report claimed that former prime minister asked Azam Khan – the then principal secretary – to “manipulate the contents of cipher”. “The former premier deliberately kept the copy of diplomatic cipher, which was sent to the PM office”, it added.