Imran moves IHC against cypher case in-camera trial

Plea contends that special court’s decision on December 14 violated orders issued by IHC on November 21

ISLAMABAD:

Former prime minister Imran Khan on Wednesday filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) challenging the in-camera trial of the ongoing cypher case.

The application demanded that the special court’s decision regarding the in-camera trial should be overturned and the proceedings carried by the special court be halted till a decision has been made regarding this petition.

PTI’s plea, filed by Barrister Salman Akram Raja, further contended that the special court’s decision on December 14 violated orders issued by the IHC on November 21 and added that the special court’s order to ban media coverage of the hearing was against the Constitution of Pakistan.

“Justice should not only prevail but should also be seen happening,” Imran stated in his petition. The plea further stated that the former premier fulfilled his constitutional duties.

“To fulfil the fundamentals of justice, the presence of the public and the media is essential," said the petition.

The special court, established under the Officials Secret Act 1923, on December 14 accepted the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) plea, seeking an in-camera trial of the former premier and former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi. The trials have been taking place at Adiala jail.

Read PTI counsels decry cypher case indictment procedure

The cypher

The case originated from Imran's public display of a paper during a rally in Islamabad on March 27, 2022, claiming it as evidence of an "international conspiracy" before a vote of no-confidence led to his government's ouster.

The FIA initiated its probe into the so-called “cypher-gate” on July 19, 2023, after the previous coalition government announced an official inquiry against Imran and his close associates for violating the OSA.

Imran was arrested on August 5, following his conviction in the Toshakhana case by a local court of Islamabad. Later, he was also arrested in the cypher case on August 29.

As per the challan papers, both Imran and Qureshi, the former foreign minister, were charged under sections 5 and 9 of the OSA. These provisions entail the possibility of the death penalty or life imprisonment.

Previously, the cypher trial had started inside the Adiala jail but an IHC division bench later annulled all those proceedings, ordering a fresh open court trial.