Special court extends Imran, Qureshi’s judicial remand for 14 days

The judicial remand of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi was extended on Monday in the cipher case, Aaj News reported.

Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain conducted the hearing at a special court which was established to hear cases filed under the Official Sec­rets Act.

The remand of both PTI leaders has been extended for 14 days.

Imran has been imprisoned since August 5 following his arrest in the Toshakhana case and is currently being held in Attock Jail. Qureshi has been incarcerated at Adiala Jail.

On Monday, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) directed to transfer the former Prime Minister Imran Khan from Attock District Jail to Adiala Jail Rawalpindi.

A single bench of Chief Justice Aamer Farooq, on Monday, issued the directions. During the hearing, the IHC CJ observed that the status of the PTI chairman’s sentence has changed, adding all under-trial prisoners of Islamabad are detained at the Adiala Jail. He then asked why the PTI chairman has been kept at the Attock Jail till date.

Justice Farooq mentioned that according to the “original order” of the Toshakhana case, Imran was to be kept at the Adiala Jail.

Addressing the Additional Attorney General Manwar Iqbal Dogal, he asked, “If tomorrow, you transfer him to Rahim Yar Khan, then will we hold the trial there?” At this, Dogal replied that when the PTI chairman was detained in the cipher case, the court ordered to detain him at the Attock Jail.

The case in question is related to the “misuse” of alleged contents of a diplomatic cipher, cited by ex-premier Imran as proof of the attempt to remove his government.

On September 16, a bail plea was filed through the former PM’s counsel Salman Safdar. The petition named State and Interior Ministry Secretary Yousuf Naseem Khokar as respondent in the case.

Last month, the IHC had sought responses from the federal and Punjab governments to a petition filed by Imran Khan seeking a transfer from Attock Jail to Adiala Jail.

The order was issued after Imran approached the IHC seeking A-Class jail facilities. The petition was filed by Imran’s lawyer Naeem Haider Panjutha.