RAWALPINDI (Dunya News) – In a significant development, the special court established under the Official Secrets Act is set to indict former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief and ex-foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in the Cipher case today (Tuesday). The case revolves around accusations that both individuals leaked a diplomatic cable.
Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain, presiding over the special court, will conduct the proceedings at Adiala Jail, where both PTI chief and Qureshi are currently incarcerated. In the previous hearing, the court ordered the provision of copies of the challan (charge sheet) to the accused and decided to frame charges against them in the upcoming hearing.
Notably, the trial is taking place in Adiala Jail, contrary to the Islamabad High Court’s order for an open trial, citing security threats to the former PTI chief. The Interior Ministry had issued a notification to hold the trial in the jail during the previous hearing.
Cipher Case Overview:
In the Cipher case, the PTI chief faces allegations of violating the Official Secrets Act by disclosing a secret diplomatic cable known as the Cipher. The cable, sent by Pakistan’s embassy in Washington in March of the previous year, was reportedly lost by Imran Khan later.
Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi asserted that the cable contained a threat from the US to topple the PTI government, which was in power in Pakistan at the time. The leaders were indicted on October 23, but a fresh indictment has been necessitated by an order from the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
Both Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi have pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.
