A particular courtroom in Pakistan on Tuesday adjourned the listening to of the cipher case till November 7 towards jailed former prime minister Imran Khan with out recording statements of any of the ten witnesses.
Khan, 71, was arrested in August after a case was filed towards him for disclosing a secret diplomatic cable (cipher) despatched by the nation’s embassy in Washington in March final 12 months. A particular courtroom in Pakistan final week indicted him alongside together with his shut ally ex-foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi within the case.
Ten witnesses had come to document statements towards Khan and co-accused Qureshi within the case. They have been introduced by the Federal Investigation Company (FIA) which had registered the case towards Khan and Qureshi in August for violating the key legal guidelines of the nation by allegedly divulging particulars of the official diplomatic communication.
Decide Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain, who heard the case, ordered his employees to mark the attendance of the witnesses and the accused. Later, he determined to adjourn the listening to and summoned the witnesses once more on November 7.
The listening to was held within the high-security Adiala jail in Rawalpindi the place Khan and Qureshi have been current with their attorneys. Prosecutor Rizwan Abbasi was additionally current to steer the federal government aspect within the case.
The 2 accused have pleaded not responsible.
Khan, the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) get together, challenged his indictment within the Islamabad Excessive Court docket (IHC) which rejected his petition.
Chief Justice Aamer Farooq, nevertheless, directed that Khan be supplied a “honest trial”.
The FIA on September 30 filed the cost sheet towards Khan and Qureshi who signed its copies.
The FIA invoked within the cost sheet sections 5 and 9 of the Official Secrets and techniques Act which can result in a dying sentence, or two to 14 years’ imprisonment if convicted.
Khan, who served as prime minister of Pakistan from August 2018 to April 2022, is accused of “misuse the contents of the cipher” to construct a story that his authorities was ousted as a consequence of a overseas conspiracy hatched by the US, a cost denied by Washington.
The cost sheet added that Qureshi aided and abetted Khan and subsequently was chargeable for the act in the identical method.
Khan and several other of his get together leaders have been going through quite a few circumstances because the ouster of the get together from energy in April 2022 and later within the wake of the Might 9 violence.
Greater than 150 circumstances have been registered towards Khan since his ouster from energy in April final 12 months.
Khan was ousted by means of a vote of no-confidence in April 2022. He was incarcerated on August 5 this 12 months, after an Islamabad courtroom sentenced him to 3 years in jail within the Toshakhana case. He was lodged within the Attock District Jail to serve his jail time period.
Later, his sentence was suspended by the Islamabad Excessive Court docket, however then he was arrested within the cipher case and remained within the Attock jail on judicial remand. He was later shifted to Adiala jail.
