ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court Monday issued a notice to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) concerning a petition filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan. This petition sought post-arrest bail in a case known as the “cipher case.”
The court’s decision to issue notices occurred during the hearing of Khan’s bail petition, which challenged a recent ruling by the special court in this case. The PTI chairman had submitted this plea on Saturday, and it was scheduled for a hearing on the present day.
The special court, which was established under the Official Secrets Act, had previously rejected post-arrest bail requests from both Imran Khan and his party’s Vice Chairman, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, in connection with the missing cipher case.
IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq issued the notices in response to a plea filed by lawyer Salman Safdar on behalf of PTI chief Imran Khan. Throughout the proceedings, Khan’s legal team emphasized the need for a prompt hearing of the case. In response, the IHC chief justice emphasized that there is a proper legal procedure in place, and the case will be decided accordingly.
The FIA has been instructed to provide its response to the PTI chief’s petition.
It is noteworthy that both Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi are currently on judicial remand in the cipher case until September 26. Last month, the FIA initiated a case against the PTI chief and his party’s vice chairman under the Official Secrets Act, alleging the mishandling and misuse of a classified document for political purposes. Subsequently, both leaders were arrested as part of the investigation into the case, and a special court was established under the Official Secrets Act to handle the legal proceedings against them.
