In a significant legal triumph for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday invalidated the in-camera trial orders for former party chairman Imran Khan and Vice-Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case.
The IHC declared all proceedings post-December 14, 2023, as invalid.
The special court, established under the Official Secrets Act 2023, had decided on the in-camera trial at Adiala jail on December 14. Imran Khan, appealing against the indictment, secured a stay on the trial until January 11, 2024, citing “legal errors.”
Today, Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb revoked the stay order, nullifying proceedings after December 14.
The Attorney General assured fresh recording of witness statements, leading to the IHC’s decision to set aside the special court’s order, deeming subsequent proceedings as having “no legal consequence.”
