PTI Chairman Imran Khan and Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi could not be indicted in the cipher case today.
The copies of the investigation report will be shared with the suspects while they will also be indicted at the next hearing.
The special court of the Official Secrets Act re-distributed the copies of the investigation report in the case among the suspects over the objection of their lawyers. The next hearing will be held after a week.
The two were scheduled to be indicted in the cipher case today.
#CipherCase: Indictment of #ImranKhan, #Qureshi adjourned till next week
— SAMAA TV (@SAMAATV) October 17, 2023
Case pertains to a "diplomatic document" that reportedly went missing from #PTIChairman’s possession#AdialaJailHearing pic.twitter.com/9hAl9Thwuc
After a hearing in the cipher case in Adiala Jail, Prosecutor Shah Khawar told the media that the proceedings have been postponed till October 23. The suspects will be indicted at the next hearing.
PTI lawyer Sher Afzal Marwat told the media that they were not given the copies of the report at the last hearing because of which the indictment has been postponed.
Also Read: IHC retains jail trial against Imran Khan in cipher case
He said they have received the copies of the investigation report today, so the charges will be framed at the next hearing.
Marwat also told the media that the PTI chief and Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood were once again brought to the court in a cage. He claimed that that Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqernain said the next hearing will take place in a bigger room.
The lawyer informed the media that statements of 22 people who held press conferences over the May 9 events were recorded, while statements of PTI members were also recorded under Section 164 of CrPC.
It is feared that Imran Khan’s case will be sent to the military court based on these statements, the lawyer claimed. The next hearing of the cipher case will be held after a week, and no date has been given yet, Marwat maintained.
PTI lawyer Salman Safdar claimed the high court pronounced a verdict on the jail trial, but they did not get the copies. He hoped a decision will be announced on the remaining applications by Monday.
He said Imran Khan was informed about the legal matters, and he asked to challenge the decision on the jail trial. The high court verdict will be challenged by Salman Akram Raja.
He further said they had received the copies of the investigation report in the cipher case, but they were not given time. The court has been urged to conduct a fair and appropriate trial.
Also Read: Cipher case: Counsel says ex-PM Khan 'duty-bound' to inform public about threat to nation
The copies they had received do not even mention the cipher, the lawyer claimed. The FIR alleges that the contents of the cipher were twisted.
Safdar remarked that transparency cannot be ensured in a jail trial, while an in-camera hearing was conducted in this case that even the lawyers weren’t aware of.
On the other hand, the Law Ministry has issued a notification for jail trial of PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case.
Qureshi had on Monday objected to his trial in the cipher case in Adiala Jail in the absence of a notification of the Law Ministry.
Hearing Qureshi’s petition against his jail trial in the case, the Islamabad High Court said an order will be issued in a day or two after summoning the parties. This whole matter has to be seen by the trial court, IHC Chief Justice Aamir Farooq remarked.
Qureshi pleaded that the court declare the October 9 verdict of the trial court null and void. He also asked the court for an order against the indictment in the cipher case by the trial court.
