Cabinet approved Imran Khan's jail trial in cipher case

The caretaker federal cabinet approved former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and former prime minister Imran Khan’s jail trial in a cipher case.

Due to security concerns, the cabinet approved the summary prepared by the Ministry of Law. This summary regards the trial of Imran Khan and Shah Mehmood at the Adiala Jail.

According to the ministry’s summary, it issued a non-objection certificate (NOC) for the jail trial on August 29 which the Interior Ministry and Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain requested.

سائفر کیس، وفاقی کابینہ نے چیئرمین پی ٹی آئی کے جیل ٹرائل کی منظوری دے دی#92NewsHDPlus pic.twitter.com/E7vyjmD3uY
— 92 News HD Plus (@92newschannel) November 12, 2023

Cabinet approved Imran Khan’s jail trial in cipher case

Why did Imran Khan file a petition against the jail trial?

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) will hear Khan’s intra-court appeal against the jail trial tomorrow November 14, 2023. The court has also requested the arguments of the attorney general for the upcoming day.

The ousted prime minister had filed an IHC petition against the jail trial owing to security concerns and biasedness of government officials. The court’s single bench rejected his petition and asked him to approach the special court on October 16, 2023.

Click here to find out the reason why IHC accepted Imran Khan’s appeal in nine cases

The single bench chaired by IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq stated that there was no obvious animosity in conducting Khan’s jail trial in the cipher case.

So Islamabad High Court passed the verdict urging him to approach a special trial court if his reservations remain. Khan thereafter filed an intra-court appeal against the verdict of the single bench of IHC.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) used Section 5 of the Officials Secrets Act 1923 to charge Khan and Qureshi in the cipher case in August of this year.

The diplomatic document (cipher) is said to have vanished from the possession of Imran Khan. According to the former ruling party PTI, cipher featured a warning from the US to destabilize the PTI government.

In the cipher case, the special court has indicted both Imran Khan and Shah Mehmood Qureshi. Both are currently imprisoned at Adiala Jail.