ISLAMABAD: A special court under the Official Secrets Act has sentenced former Prime Minister Imran Khan and former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi to ten years in prison in the cipher case on Tuesday.
Judge Abul Hasanat of the special court conducted a hearing under the Official Secrets Act. During the hearing, Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi responded to the questions posed under Section 342.
After the hearing, Judge Abul Hasanat, while delivering a brief verdict, imposed a ten-year prison sentence on both leaders. Yesterday, the court conducted proceedings from 9 in the morning until 11 at night.
For the trial, Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi were not granted permission to appear in court from 9 am to 11 pm. Instead, the court allowed them to be represented by government lawyers.
Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi had requested permission to represent themselves, but the court denied them the right to self-representation. The court conducted the proceedings through government lawyers.
Imran Khan’s lawyers and his family had protested against this decision. On the other hand, the government lawyers representing Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi challenged the transparency of the trial in the Islamabad High Court.
Imran Khan Challenges Govt Lawyers’ Appointment in Cipher Case
Earlier today, Imran Khan challenged the appointment of government lawyers in the cipher case in the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
According to the details, a petition was filed in the IHC by PTI’s founder challenging the appointment of government lawyers in the cipher case.
In the petition filed by the former Prime Minister, Imran Khan, it was requested that the court’s order on January 26 in the cipher case should be annulled.
The petition also appealed that the case proceedings after the appointment of government lawyers should be annulled.
It is pertinent to note that the trial of the cipher case against PTI’s founder is ongoing in Adiala Jail.
Imran Khan’s lawyer in the cipher case, Barrister Salman Safdar, stated yesterday, “We have been barred from representing our clients. The court’s time finishes at 3 pm, but as I speak to you at 8 pm PST, the trial is continuing inside Adiala Jail.”
He mentioned that during today’s proceedings, he was barred and not allowed to represent his client or cross-examine the state’s witnesses.
Barrister Salman Safdar appealed to the Chief Justice of Pakistan to stop the miscarriage of justice where the state is acting as the judge, prosecution, and defense, denying Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood’s legal team from representing them.
In his media talks, he mentioned that the Islamabad High Court had suspended this trial twice before due to concerns about the judge’s conduct and the manner in which the trial was proceeding.
