5 months ago
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Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan (left) and Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi. — AFP/APP/FileISLAMABAD: The caretaker federal cabinet Monday approved the law ministry's summary seeking Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi's jail trial in the cipher case.
In its summary, the ministry stated that it had issued a no-objection certificate (NOC) for the jail trial on August 29 which was requested by the Ministry of Interior and Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain.
"The jail trial was requested for the PTI chairman keeping in view the security concerns," it said.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) will hear the intra-court appeal filed by Khan against the jail trial on November 14 (tomorrow). The court has sought arguments from the attorney general.
The deposed prime minister — who was ousted from office following a no-confidence motion in April last year — had moved IHC against the jail trial which was rejected by the court's single bench on October 16.
The single bench, led by IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq, found no apparent malice behind conducting Khan's jail trial in the cipher case, the court's verdict read and directed him to approach the trial court if reservations persist.
Later, Khan filed an intra-court appeal against the single bench's decision.
In August of this year, Khan and Qureshi were booked under the Official Secrets Act 1923 in the cipher case after the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) invoked Section 5 of the said law for misusing the secret document.
The diplomatic cable reportedly went missing from Imran's possession. According to the former ruling party, the cable contained a threat from the United States to topple the PTI’s government.
Imran and Qureshi have been indicted by the special court and are currently incarcerated in Adiala jail in the cipher case.
