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The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday halted proceedings against PTI Chairman Imran Khan in the cipher case<\/a>, stressing the need for the court to be informed about the \u201ccircumstances\u201d that prompted the trial to be conducted in jail.<\/p>\n The IHC division bench, comprising Justice Mian\u00adgul Hassan Aur\u00adangzeb and Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz, announced the verdict while hearing the former prime minister\u2019s intra-court appeal against a single-member bench\u2019s decision that had approved Imran\u2019s jail trial.<\/p>\n The cipher case pertains to a diplomatic document<\/a> that the Federal Investigation Agency\u2019s charge sheet alleges was never returned<\/a> by Imran. The PTI has long held<\/a> that the document contained a threat from the United States to oust Imran as prime minister.<\/p>\n The former premier and his aide Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who is also behind bars, were indicted<\/a> in the case on Oct 23. They have pleaded not guilty.<\/p>\n The IHC has endorsed<\/a> Imran\u2019s indictment, disposing of his plea against the same, but had also instructed the special court judge to ensure a \u201cfair trial\u201d.<\/p>\n At the commencement of the hearing today, PTI chief Imran Khan\u2019s lawyer, Salman Akram Raja, and the Attorney General Mansoor Awan were present in the court.<\/p>\n Justice Aurangzeb clarified that allowing certain family members of the petitioner did not make it into an open court hearing.<\/p>\n The attorney general informed the court that the federal cabinet had approved the proceedings in the cipher case at the trial court, and a copy of the relevant notification would be presented.<\/p>\n Justice Aurangzeb expressed that the court will scrutinise the notification, questioning the \u201cextraordinary circumstances\u201d that led to the trial being conducted in its current manner. \u201cWe want to know the actual events; you have to inform us,\u201d the judge remarked.<\/p>\n Furthermore, the court sought clarification on the reasons behind the federal cabinet\u2019s approval of the jail trial. \u201cThe most important question lies in determining the status of court proceedings preceding the cabinet\u2019s approval,\u201d Justice Aurangzeb asked.<\/p>\n The judge also referred to the former Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi\u2019s jail trial, saying \u201cit was conducted at Tihar Jail where media was not allowed. Similar to that scenario involving a former premier, this case also involves the ex-PM.\u201d<\/p>\n After the arguments, the court sought a reply from the attorney general and adjourned the hearing.<\/p>\n In the previous hearing, the special court had recorded<\/a> the statements of three prosecution witnesses in the cipher case.<\/p>\n Earlier today, Special Court Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain presided over the hearing against Imran and ex-foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, which was conducted at the Adiala district jail.<\/p>\n Prior to the hearing, the PTI leaders\u2019 legal teams and relatives as well as the FIA\u2019s team reached the jail.<\/p>\n Barrister Salman Safdar, Umair Niazi, Sikander Zulqarnain and Khalid Yousuf Chaudhry appeared as Imran\u2019s counsels while Barrister Taimur Malik and Faiza Shah were among Qureshi\u2019s lawyers.<\/p>\n Zulfiqar Abbas Naqvi and Shah Khawar were among the prosecutors who appeared before the trial court.<\/p>\n Limited family members of both the accused were allowed to attend the hearing today as they were permitted to do so during the previous hearing.<\/p>\n The former foreign minister\u2019s daughters Gauhar Bano and Mehr Bano, as well as the ex-premier\u2019s sisters Aleema Khan, Dr Uzma Khanum and Naureen Khanum, reached the Adaila Jail to attend the hearing.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, an Islamabad accountability court today sought details from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) if a notification had been issued for a jail hearing of the Al-Qadir Trust case<\/a> against former prime minister Imran Khan.<\/p>\n The PTI chairman was first arrested<\/a> in the Al-Qadir Trust case on May 9, which led to violent protests<\/a> countrywide. He was released two days later after the Supreme Court deemed<\/a> his arrest unlawful.<\/p>\n In August, the PTI chief was jailed after he was convicted<\/a> in the Toshakhana case. Although his sentence was suspended<\/a> on Aug 29, Imran remained in jail because he was on judicial remand<\/a> in the cipher case.<\/p>\n Trial court proceedings<\/h2>\n
Accountability court seeks details on possible jail hearing of Al-Qadir Trust case against Imran<\/h2>\n