New Delhi: A special court established under the Official Secrets Act extended Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s judicial remand till September 13 in the cipher case, a hearing of which was held at the Attock District Jail, Pakistan’s Geo News quoted sources as saying.
What is the cipher?
The missing cipher is a classified state document that Khan had waved during his political gathering ahead of his ouster from office last year. Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain, who arrived at the jail to conduct the hearing, issued the decision in the case. Hearing of the case took place at the Attock District Jail following approval by the Law Ministry amid security concerns expressed by the Interior Ministry.
Khan has been imprisoned in the said jail since his conviction in the Toshakhana case on August 5 for failing to properly declare gifts he received while in office.
A day earlier, the Islamabad High Court overturned a lower court’s decision to jail him for three years with a Rs 100,000 fine — a judgment that kept him from contesting upcoming elections. He remains behind bars due to his judicial remand in the cipher case till August 30, the report added.
The FIA had officially arrested the former prime minister in the cipher case earlier this month after booking him under the Official Secrets Act.
Subsequently, the PTI chief was sent on judicial remand in the cipher case till August 30 (today) at the same time while he was serving his sentence in Toshakhana case at Attock jail.
Meanwhile, the PTI chairman’s lawyers claim that a “manipulation of justice” was keeping him behind bars. According to his lawyers, the deposed prime minister was granted bail and expected to be released from Attock Jail. However, they said on Tuesday afternoon, Khan remained in detention because of a previous arrest, made in secret, over the cipher.
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