Cipher case: Imran Khan's judicial remand extended till Sept 13

Cipher case: Imran Khan's judicial remand extended till Sept 13
Source: File

Attock (Web Desk): A special court formed to hear cases under Special Secret Act on Wednesday extended Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former premier Imran Khan's judicial remand by 14 days in the cipher case.

The court heard the cipher case against Imran Khan under Official Secret Act in a special court setup in Attock jail premises.

Official Secret Act court judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain reached Attock jail to hear the cipher case against Khan. 

On Tuesday, the Ministry of Law issued a notification for case hearing in the Attock jail. The hearing of the cipher case has been shifted to the prison, citing security reasons. 

According to reports, Imran Khan legal team consists of five lawyers including Naeem Panjotha, Salman Safdar, Intezar Panjotha, Ali Ijaz Buttar and Umair Niazi.

On the other hand, the police did not allow all five members of Chairman PTI's legal team to go inside the jail. The police said that only one lawyer would be allowed to go inside the prison. However, all the lawyers of the legal team wanted to go inside. 

While the police only permitted Safdar to enter the Attock jail premises, one of Khan's legal counsels, Buttar, questioned the former prime minister's remand. "We have many questions. When was the PTI chairman remanded? How the remand was made possible without telling the party chief and his lawyers?" he asked.

It is also important to add that Bushra Bibi, Aleema Khan along with legal team also reached Attok jail to meet Imran today before hearing.

Yesterday, two-judge bench of Islamabad High Court (IHC) suspend­ed the jail sentence of Chairman Imran Khan and ordered his release on bail in the Toshakhana corruption case, but Special court approved Khan's judicial remand till today in cipher case.

Meanwhile, Khan’s legal team has filed a petition in IHC seeking to stop the arrest of the former prime minister in any other case. The petition named NAB, FIA, and police as respondents in the case.