A special court established under the Official Secrets Act on Wednesday once again indicted former premier Imran Khan and ex-foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cypher case – dealing a fresh blow to ex-PTI chairman’s chances of contesting Pakistan's general election in February.
The charges were read aloud in the courtroom, situated at Adiala Jail, where both Imran and his co-accused, the former foreign minister, denied the charges.
Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain read out the two-page charge-sheet under the Official Secrets Act, outlining three distinct charges against the defendants.
The court ruled that both Imran, in his capacity as prime minister, and Shah Mehmood Qureshi, as foreign minister, breached the Official Secrets Act.
The charge-sheet stated that both accused publicly flaunted a classified document during a rally on March 27, 2022, exploiting it for personal gain in a deliberate manner, highlighting that the unlawful actions harmed the nation's reputation, security, and diplomatic affairs.
Meanwhile, in an intense moment during the proceedings, Imran questioned the legitimacy of the charges, quipping, "Add to my offences that I have erred by exposing both domestic and foreign establishments."
“We were accused, and our government was ousted. How is it possible that the one whose government was overthrown is now the one facing charges?” Imran questioned while addressing the judge.
At this point, the court reprimanded and silenced the ex-premier for speaking out of turn. “Please listen to me first. Your tone is not appropriate. This is a court of law,” the judge cautioned while rebuking Imran.
'Unique cypher'
As for his part, the former foreign minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, told the court that among the hundreds of cyphers he has seen before, this “particular one stood out as unique”.
He noted the significance when a message is intentionally withheld from such a figure, raising questions.“A foreign minister is referred to as the chief diplomat around the world. When a message [from a foreign nation] is kept away from the chief diplomat, there likely exists a reason for keeping that cypher concealed,” he contended.
He further urged the court to summon the former secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Asad Majeed, insisting that it would lay bare the facts before the nation.
"I had a conversation with Majeed on March 8 over the phone. Bring him forward. A trial conducted in a one-sided manner while keeping crucial information under wraps should not take place," Qureshi stressed.
Later, the judge adjourned the hearing till Thursday (today).PTI counsels denounce indictment procedureImran’s lawyer Barrister Gohar Khan contested the indictment, saying it would be valid only if signed by the accused.
Lawyers representing ex-premier and Qureshi in the case decried the indictment procedure adopted in the case.
Addressing the media outside the Adiala jail following the indictment proceedings, Imran's lawyer Salman Safdar and Qureshi's counsel Barrister Taimur Malik said the indictment was not done before us, nor were the accused made to sign the charge-sheet.
PTI’s lawyer informed the media that they will be challenging the indictment process in the court as the hearing "lacked transparency" and was carried out “impulsively”.
The counsels further contended that it was because of the same "hasty" decisions that the case's proceedings were declared unconstitutional before by the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
Read IHC declares jail trial in cypher case illegal
They said the PTI will stage a strong protest tomorrow, accusing the prosecutors of wrongly stating that the PTI leaders have been indicted.
"No procedure related to the indictment was carried out in court today," Safdar reiterated.
Furthermore, senior lawyers Sardar Latif Khosa, Aitzaz Ahsan and Salman Akram Raja also separately addressed the media and denounced not being allowed to attend the jail trial.Ahsan also condemned presenting PTI leader Qureshi in handcuffs.
Khosa maintained that the media personnel should be allowed inside the courtroom, alleging that journalists are locked in a glass room 50 feet away during the hearing. At this, Raja interjected to add that every person had the right to hear the case.
Lawyer Raja claimed that specific people were being presented as public and made to attend the hearing, terming the trial "unconstitutional, illegal and a sham".
Lawyer Khosa also questioned why the cypher case trial was being conducted in such a hurry.Interim bail dismissed
Separately, an accountability court in Islamabad on Wednesday dismissed former prime minister Imran Khan’s interim bail in the Toshakhana case.
Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Bashir announced the verdict on the former premier’s plea he reserved earlier.
The court order stated that irregularities were found during the investigation of the Toshakhana case.
The court said that Imran Khan will remain and be interrogated in prison.
Imran’s counsel Naeem Haider Panjutha complained about dismissing the bail plea at 8pm, terming it a “spectacle”.
There's no valid reason for rushing the interim bail case's hearing at 8pm, adding that the nation and the entire world are witnessing this spectacle.
“Conducting the hearing behind closed doors in the jail is nothing but an act of vengeance.”
Sardar Latif Khosa took the stance that the Toshakhana case was built on political vendetta and lacked any factual basis.
"All presidents, prime ministers, ministers, and institution heads received these gifts. Even Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari received vehicles despite the ban," he contended.
He argued, "This case ought to be dismissed or bail should be granted. It is merely a case of political retribution.
"Following the order, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) also arrested the former prime minister, who is already imprisoned in the cypher case.
A NAB team and the judge will arrive at Adiala Jail at 11 a.m. today to obtain the physical remand of the former prime minister.
Meanwhile, the hearing for Bushra Bibi's interim bail and the former prime minister's post-arrest bail applications regarding the £190 million Al-Qadir University case has been postponed until December 19.
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