ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) will announce its reserved verdict on a plea against jail trial of PTI Chairman Imran Khan in Cypher case on Monday (today).
According to the cause list issued by the IHC registrar’s office, Chief Justice Aamer Farooq will announce the reserved verdict on Khan’s petition challenging the Law Ministry’s notification to hold his trial in jail in the diplomatic cable case. The IHC had reserved the verdict on September 12.
At the last hearing, Additional Attorney General Munawar Iqbal Duggal had told the court that the cipher case hearing in Attock jail was one-time permission.
“The hearing on the case was held in [Attock] jail on August 30,” he had informed the court, adding that the ministry had also issued a no-objection certificate (NOC) regarding the holding of trial in the prison.
At this, the IHC chief justice remarked that the jail trial was not unusual.
To which, the prosecutor said that the notification regarding moving the court to Attock jail was issued as per the law.
The court asked what would happen if the notification was issued again. “It has to be decided under which authority the notification can be issued,” the IHC judge observed.
PTI lawyer Sher Afzal Marwat had argued that the notification was based on ill intent. “The application has not become ineffective, the court has to decide notification’s validity,” he added.
Imran to be indicted in cypher case on 17th
Last week, a special court established under the Official Secrets Act set October 17 as date for indictment of the PTI chairman and Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the diplomatic cable case.
The PTI chief and his deputy were presented before Special Court Judge Zulqarnain in the court set up in Adiala Jail where both leaders are locked up.
The date for the indictment was set after the copies of the challan, submitted to the court by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), were provided to the counsels of the accused. After setting the date of the indictment, the government witnesses were also issued notices by the court.
During the hearing, Khan protested against the treatment meted out to him in Adiala Jail during the hearing of the cipher case and asked he be treated like other prisoners.
It is pertinent to mention here that Khan was arrested from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore soon after being convicted in the Toshakhana case in August.
A district and sessions court in the federal capital convicted the former prime minister — who was removed from office in April last year through a no-confidence motion — for corrupt practices related to the state gift depository — allegations which he denies.
The 70-year-old cricketer-turned-politician was accused of misusing his premiership to buy and sell gifts in state possession that were received during visits abroad and worth more than 140 million rupees ($635,000).
