PTI Chief Imran Khan to Face Indictment in Cypher Case on October 17
The long-awaited legal proceedings in the cypher case involving former Prime Minister Imran Khan have officially commenced, with the court announcing that his indictment is scheduled for October 17. The development emerged during a hearing presided over by Special Court Judge Abdul Hasnaat Zulqarnain.
In attendance at the hearing were key individuals, including Prosecutor Zulfiqar Abbas Naqvi, Imran Khan’s legal counsel Salman Safdar, as well as the presence of Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s daughter and son, who are co-accused in the case. The hearing took place at Adiala jail, where copies of the charge-sheet were distributed to Imran Khan and the legal representatives of Qureshi.
During the proceedings, Prosecutor Naqvi informed the court that all necessary copies of documents had been provided to the court for review. Imran Khan’s legal team had a brief meeting with him inside a prison van.
The court subsequently issued directives for the summoning of all government witnesses to appear in conjunction with the charge-sheet on October 17.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had previously asserted that Imran Khan violated the Official Secrets Act of 1923, alleging that he deserved punishment in accordance with the law. The charge-sheet submitted by the FIA also implicated Shah Mahmood Qureshi for allegedly facilitating Imran Khan in this matter.
Notably, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had recently rejected the FIA’s request for in-camera proceedings regarding Imran Khan’s bail application. IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq ruled that the bail application hearing would take place in an open court but with certain documents kept confidential, as decided in consultation with counsel. The hearing for the bail application was scheduled for October 9.
The cypher case revolves around a diplomatic cable that reportedly went missing from Imran Khan’s possession. Imran has maintained that the cipher pointed to a conspiracy aimed at removing him from the prime minister’s office. He was ousted through a vote of no-confidence in April 2022 and was subsequently incarcerated on August 5, 2023, following a three-year prison sentence in the Toshakhana case. While his sentence was later suspended by the IHC, Imran Khan was arrested in the cypher case and remained on judicial remand in the Attock jail. A special court was formed under the Official Secrets Act to conduct the trial within the jail premises.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi, PTI Vice Chairman and former foreign minister in Imran Khan’s government, is also implicated in the cypher case. In the last hearing on September 26, their judicial remand was extended until October 10, leading up to the forthcoming indictment date.
