Cipher case: Pakistan court to conduct trial of Imran Khan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi at Adiala jail tomorrow

After approval from the government, a Pakistani special court on Friday agreed to hold an open hearing in the cypher case against former prime minister Imran Khan on Saturday in the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. Since a formal permission for a jail trial had not been granted by the government, Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqernain presided over the hearing against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the Federal Judicial Complex building. However, during the hearing, the court was informed that a formal notification issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice, granting permission for the jail trial of the accused in the cipher case, had been received. Subsequently, Special Court Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain remarked that further proceedings would be held Saturday at 9:00 inside the Adiala jail and ordered the authorities to produce Khan, 71, and Qureshi, 67, for the hearing. He also assured that the proceedings would be open for media, relatives and other people who are allowed to witness the hearing process. Not only will justice be done but it will be seen as well, the judge said at one point during the hearing. The cipher case pertains to a diplomatic document sent by the country’s embassy in Washington in March last year. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) launched a case on Aug 15 against Khan and Qureshi, accusing them of violating the secret laws while handling the document. Both the leaders are in Adiala jail where they were indicted in the case on Oct 23. Both have pleaded not guilty. However, the Islamabad High Court nullified the proceedings and now the court would begin the process of the case from the beginning. The IHC also ordered that the trial should be completed within four weeks. With inputs from agencies