Islamabad, Nov 28 – A special court on Tuesday announced that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and Vice-Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s trial in the cipher case will be conducted in Adiala jail.
In today’s hearing, Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain, who was conducting Khan’s trial said, “The cipher trial will take place in jail in light of the security report by the superintendent of Adiala Jail.”
The order said the next hearing of the case would take place at Adiala jail.
The court also stated that the proceedings can be attended by anyone, who wishes to do so, including the journalists.
The court also noted that five family members of the suspect would be allowed to attend the proceedings.
Judge Zulqarnain adjourned the hearing till December 1, according to Geo news.
Last week, the court ordered authorities to present the former prime minister and Vice-Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi at Islamabad’s Federal Judicial Complex (FJC) Tuesday.
However, the Adiala jail authorities failed to produce the former prime minister before the special court citing “security risks” in their report despite the orders to present him at the FJC, according to media reports.
The orders were issued in the first hearing of the cipher case that was held outside the Adiala prisons after Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) decision to nullify the August 29 notification for a jail trial.
In August of this year, Khan and Qureshi were booked under the Official Secrets Act 1923 in the cipher case after the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) invoked Section 5 of the said law.
Both leaders have been indicted in the missing cipher case and are currently in Adiala jail after they were indicted by the special court.
