IHC declares August 29 notification for Imran Khan’s jail trial in cipher case null and void

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday declared the August 29 notification of conducting the former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan’s jail trial in the cipher case null and void.

A division bench of the IHC comprising Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb and Justice Saman Riffat Imtiaz announced the verdict which was reserved earlier in the day on the intra-court appeal filed by the PTI chief Imran Khan against a single-member bench’s decision approving the ex-premier’s jail trial in the cipher case.

The court said the notification issued by the law ministry on Nov 13 for the PTI chief’s jail trial was no longer applicable.

The notification issued by the law ministry on Nov 13 for Imran Khan’s trial in jail was no longer applicable, the court declared.

On Aug 29, the IHC suspended the PTI chief’s sentence in the Toshakhana case, but a special court constituted under the Official Secrets Act had directed the jail authorities to keep the PTI chairman in “judicial lockup” in the cipher case.

The court announced a short order today, while the detailed verdict will be issued later.