Cipher Case: Imran Khan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s judicial remand extended till Sept 26
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and party’s Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s judicial remand in the cipher case has been till September 26.
A special court on Wednesday resumed the proceedings after the law ministry’s notification expressed no objections to conducting the trial in Attock jail.
The Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) team and nine lawyers of PTI chairman Imran Khan’s legal team were allowed inside the jail and were present during the in-camera hearing.
During today’s hearing, Judge Zulqarnain directed the FIA to submit a challan on September 26 in the cipher case, according to the sources.
At the outset of the hearing, the former premier’s attendance was marked.
The court then extended Imran Khan’s judicial remand for another 14 days.
PTI Chairman Imran Khan has been imprisoned in jail since his conviction in the Toshakhana case on August 5 for failing to properly declare gifts he received while in office.
Imran Khan’s lawyer Naeem Haider Panjotha confirmed the development in a post on X-platform (formerly Twitter).
سائفر کیس میں عمران خان صاحب کے جوڈیشل ریمانڈ میں 26 ستمبر تک توسیع کر دی گئی.
— Naeem Haider Panjutha (@NaeemPanjuthaa) September 13, 2023
Ahead of the hearing, strict security arrangements were made outside the Attock jail.
On the other hand, PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi was presented before Judge Zulqarnain’s special court at the Federal Judicial Complex (FJC) upon the completion of his judicial remand.
Upon his arrival, the court officials informed Qureshi that the judge had gone to Attock jail for a hearing and said they would ask the judge if Qureshi could be allowed to return after marking his attendance.
At this, Qureshi asked the authorities why the judge had gone to Attock jail, to which he was informed that there was a hearing on Imran Imran’s case.
Judge Zulqarnain then extended Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s judicial remand by the same period as well, directing him to be presented before the court again on September 26.
Speaking to the media person outside the court, Shah Mahmood Qureshi said his party had never betrayed the country and never will do so in the future.
“I am sure that I have never betrayed my country and if I have been a traitor, then I should be hanged,” he added.
“I have always defended institutions as a foreign minister.”
He asserted that no one can replace Imran Khan as PTI chief, saying that there is no ambiguity about it.
“There is only one party chairman and there isn’t any ambiguity surrounding this matter,” he remarked.
#WATCH: Shah Mahmood Qureshi, a key aide of ex-PM Imran Khan, appears in a court in Pakistan's capital in a case related to exposing official secrets.
— Arab News Pakistan (@arabnewspk) September 13, 2023
–https://t.co/L5yggsyapU pic.twitter.com/v6lvGRMSgk
